December Decorative Arts Calendar of Events

December is by far the best month to see some fine examples of twentieth-century decorative arts and design. This is not because there are great exhibitions opening each day of the month but because all of the auction houses, in the United States and abroad, are conducting their “Important” sales in this field. And unlike a museum exhibition, the viewings are all free to attend and you can really get up close and personal with the objects. And best of all, for the right price, you can walk away with one of the treasures. Happy bidding and happy holidays!  
Hear
“The Book of Job” Lecture, Book Signing and Reception on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, Great Hall of the Cooper Union at 7 East 7th Street. This is the first monograph on the work of Studio Job published by Rizzoli. Job Smeets will give a lecture titled “Free as a Ball Chain” from 6:30-7:30 which will be followed by a book signing and a reception from 7:30-8:30. This event is free and open to the public.
David Rago’s "Bulletproof: Why Some Art Pottery Flies and Some Dies" lecture at the Salmagundi Club, Fifth Avenue at 12th Street, New York City. Monday, December 13 at 6:00 pm. This talk is organized by the American Appraisal Association. David Rago, founder of the Rago Arts and Auction Center in Lambertville, NJ, will address the American Appraisal Association as part of its series of Freeman's Lectures. He has taken Art Pottery as his topic. Seating is Limited. Reservations are recommended $20 General Admission. 
“Artistic Furniture Then and Now: A Dialogue on the Work of Charles Rohlfs and Wendell Castle.” Lecture in conjunction with “The Artistic Furniture of Charles Rohlfs” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sunday, December 5, 3:00 p.m.  Metropolitan Museum of Art. For details visit the Met Museum website. With Wendell Castle, sculptor; Joseph Cunningham, exhibition curator; and Glenn Adamson, writer, educator, and theorist from the Victoria and Albert Museum.
“Vintage: Value, Values, and Enduring Design.” The 12th Annual New York Fashion Conference, City University Graduate Center, 5th Ave between 34th and 35th Street. December 3rd and 4th, 2010. The symposium will explore the recently revived interest in vintage fashion and why do we value it. The panel of speakers is very impressive and will include Hamish Bowles, Phyllis Magidson, Anna Sui, Prince Dimitri and many others. For more information visit their website.
“Constructing Classicism in Fashion” a talk given by the Museum at F.I.T’S Deputy Director Patricia Mears in conjunction with the Guggenheim Museum's exhibition Chaos and Classicism: Art in France, Italy, and Germany, 1918–1936. Tuesday, December 7, 6:30 pm Guggenheim Museum. Between the world wars, women such as Madeleine Vionnet dominated fashion design in Paris and New York. Charting the embrace of classicism, Mears, a renowned costume historian and style expert, discusses clothing innovations that defined fashion in the 1930s, changed the course of modern dress, and continue to influence couture today. $10, $7 for members. For details visit the website.
Hamish Bowles will lecture on “BALENCIAGA: Spanish Master.” Thursday, December 2, 6-8 pm. Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center, first floor, F.I.T.
Join Hamish Bowles, Vogue's European editor at large and curator of the exhibition BALENCIAGA: Spanish Master, for an illustrated lecture about the impact on legendary designer Cristóbal Balenciaga of Spain’s cultural and religious history, regional costumes, rich dance traditions, and its great artists, as well as the power and splendor of the bullfight. This lecture is presented in collaboration with Queen Sofía Spanish Institute in New York, where BALENCIAGA: Spanish Master is currently on view. This event was sold out when I wrote this blog, so check with the museum if spots have become available.
Bid
Christie’s, Rockefeller Center
Delorenzo: Thirty Years
Viewing: December 11-14, 2010
Auction: December 14, 2010
Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design Including Property from The Collection of Max Palevsky
Viewing: December 11-15, 2010
Auction: December 15, 2010
Important Tiffany
Viewing: December 11-15, 2010
Auction: December 15, 2010
Sotheby’s, 1334 York Avenue
Fusion: Contemporary Arts and Design
Viewing: December 11-14, 2010
Auction: December 14, 2010
Ruhlmann: An Important Original Interior
Viewing: December 11-15, 2010
Auction: December 16, 2010
Important 20th Century Design Incl. an Important Desk and Chair by Greene & Greene.
Viewing: December 11-15, 2010
Auction: December 16, 2010
Phillips de Pury & Company, 450 Park Avenue  
Design Masters  
Auction: December 15, 2010
Travel
DesignMiami, Miami Beach Convention Center P-Lot, Miami Beach, FL. Open to the general public: Wednesday, 1 December to Sunday, 5 December.
One of the most design events of the year is happening this month, DesignMiam, which is in a new location this year, presents the best design galleries from around the world. There are tons of events that are being organized in conjunction with the main event.  It is best to visit the show’s website for all the details.