Wharton Esherick, cherry sofa, 1968. Offered by Moderne Gallery.

The Salon Art + Design, one of the most innovative fairs to come on the scene in recent years, will open at New York’s historic Park Avenue Armory on Thursday, November 12. Now in its fourth year, the fair continues to garner praise thanks to its thoughtful array of offerings spanning a variety of genres, styles and periods.

Produced by Sanford L. Smith + Associates, the Salon Art + Design's superb mix of art, design and decorative art objects attracts a bevy of top collectors, designers and tastemakers. According to exhibitor Robert Aibel, Owner and Director of Philadelphia’s Moderne Gallery, “In three short years, Salon has established itself as the ‘go to’ show for 20th and 21st century design. There is really no other place to see the breadth and depth of such high quality design from all over the world."

Marc Fish, Laminaria, UK, 2015. Sculptural console made of micro-stack laminated and hand-carved American black walnut veneer. 41 1/2″ H x 106″ W x 25 1/2″ D. Offered by Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary.
Niamh Barry, Walking, IRE, 2015. Light sculpture made of hand-formed mirror-polished and patinated bronze, glass opal tiles, LEDs, 133" L x 84" H x 40.5" D. Offered by Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary.

This year, The Salon Art + Design will welcome over fifty leading galleries, including Moderne Gallery, Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary (New York), Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts (New York), Wexler Gallery (Philadelphia), and R & Company (New York). At Merrill’s booth, “a collection of unique, material-driven studio works made with today’s most refined and innovative techniques in sculpting and casting across metal and wood” will be on view. From steel light installations to hand-carved walnut and bronze consoles, the works are unified by their shared inspiration of the human body and its movement as subject matter. At Moderne’s booth, Aibel will present a magnificent selection of American studio craft furniture, including a large American black walnut wall sculpture by George Nakashima -- the only known such piece by the celebrated woodworker -- one of four free-standing sofas ever made by Wharton Esherick, and a bronze sculpture by Esherick titled The Actress. The work is one of two bronzes  cast from the original cherry sculpture in 1939. The wood original and the other bronze reside in the permanent collection of the Wharton Esherick Museum in Pennsylvania.

George Nakashima, large American black walnut wall sculpture, 1964. Offered by Moderne Gallery.

Among the amenities at this year’s Salon Art + Design is a Collector’s Lounge located in the Armory’s historic Colonel’s Reception Room and designed by interior architect Crina Arghirescu Rogard. Designer Tours led by renowned architects and interiors designers will also be available to Salon patrons. Each professional will highlight stand-out works of art and design, discuss trends and offer insight into his or her specific taste and aesthetic. Among the participants are a slew of New York’s finest interior designers, including Joe Nahem, Kristen McGinnis, Sandra Nunnerley, Amy Lau, John Eason, Vicente Wolf, Ryan Fitzgerald and Ryan Lawson.

The Salon Art + Design will kick off on Thursday night with a Collector’s Preview (5pm-7pm) and an invitation-only Vernissage Party (7pm-9:30). The fair will remain open to the public through Monday, November 16. For more information call 212-777-5218 or visit www.thesalonny.com.