Click here to subscribe to M.A.D.

New Historic Indian & World Tribal Arts Show in Nation's Capital

by Robert Kyle

After an absence of three years, an American Indian arts show returned to the nation's capital on October 16 and 17, 2004. Unlike past shows, which were organized by Maryland collector Roy Harrell and later by California promoter Kim Martindale, this show was developed by Barry Cohen.

It was not exclusively Native American. Primitive artifacts from Africa, South America, Asia, and the Middle East also were represented. According to Cohen, Washington, D.C., is a good market for a global tribal arts show because of the international nature of the city. Also, the recent opening of the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian has drawn attention to the area as a focal point for creations by indigenous people.

Cohen said that blending material from around the world with North American goods also gave the show a diverse appearance. "Having a mix keeps it from becoming monotonous," he said. A certain amount of tribal cross-collecting has been occurring, he said, and shows such as this one make that possible.

In the past, these D.C. Indian arts shows have taken place in a college in suburban Virginia, a conference room in Georgetown University, and the D.C. Armory. This time, with Cohen paddling the canoe, he placed it in the center of town near museums, the Washington Monument, and federal offices. "The old shows moved all over the map," he said.

The venue was the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium at Constitution Avenue and 13th Street. In an area called the Federal Triangle, the grandiose, Classically inspired, large limestone building is fronted by six Roman Doric columns. After walking up several steps, visitors entered past 12é wrought-iron gates topped with gold gilding. Security guards checked bags and passed a baton over bodies.

The building, completed in 1934, became the largest government-owned assembly space in the city. Until 1987, it was called the Departmental Auditorium. It was renamed for Andrew W. Mellon (1855-1937), banker, industrialist, and art collector, who in 1937 gave Congress $10 million and his valuable collection of 121 paintings and 21 sculptures to create a museum for the people. His gift became the foundation for the National Gallery of Art.

Over the years the building has hosted myriad and varied events from film shoots to fashion shows to treaty signings. The structure engenders elegance and sophistication. It's the kind of place where you would expect to find six-figure historic artifacts for sale and buyers who can afford them.

All dealers interviewed were unanimous in their approval of the venue, but some questioned accessibility. Street parking was nonexistent due to numerous visitors to the city on a warm fall day. It's not the type of building where you would drive by and say, "Hey, look. An Indian arts show. Let's pull over and go in." Although the city's subway system provides convenient conveyance, it's unlikely a buyer of a $6000 Acoma pot or a $20,000 10é Navajo rug wants to carry it home on a subway. An underground parking garage was nearby but around the corner, missed by this reporter, who parked six blocks away next to a park of reposing homeless people.

A couple of dealers questioned whether the Virginia suburbs may have provided a better site. One theorized that people who commute into the city during the work week may prefer not to during weekends, opting to attend a show somewhere around the Beltway. Still, the Mellon Auditorium is perhaps the city's finest building available for private individuals to rent.

"It's the most beautiful venue we've ever been in," raved New York state dealer Ted Trotta. "We're in the epicenter of money and power." Nevertheless, he added, "But it's too quiet."

Wyoming dealer Michael Caden, who specializes in Old West and Indian photographs and art, said, "It's a beautiful show, but it's been really slow. You couldn't get a better environment. We've just had a lack of people coming in. He [the promoter] publicized it well. It was even on NPR. I heard it yesterday morning as we were driving here to set up."

Jim Hart of Acquisitions Inc. remarked, "It's the first year, so we didn't expect a blockbuster show. It's a wonderful venue, and I think it's got potential."

Matthew Hickey of Marietta, Pennsylvania, was pleased. "The show has been good for a first show. Hopefully, as they build the show, the reputation will get better and more people will come." He noticed many of those who did attend weren't tourists or casual buyers. "The majority of buyers seemed to be serious collectors. I don't think we're getting quite as many random folks strolling in off the streets. There have been several well-known collectors strolling through the aisles."

Barry Cohen said some collectors traveled from the West Coast, Canada, New York, and New England for the show.

"I've had numerous collectors in," said New York City dealer Marcy Burns Schillay. "The people who have come have been strong collectors, but there aren't tons of people."

Paul Gray and Merrill Domas, regulars at past Washington shows, were set up in the lobby, not the main room. "It's pretty good for us out here," Domas said. "We've done well enough for a first show. The crowd was in some ways better than expected yesterday. Today it's been kind of slow." Their sales included a whirling logs Navajo rug, beadwork, a basket, jewelry, and two paintings by Harrison Begay.

Neil Becker of New World Antiquities, West Harrison, New York, had these thoughts: "It's obviously a lovely show, and there's some exceptional dealers here with some very good material. The venue is beautiful architecturally, but it is a brand-new show, and it needs to build. As far as sales are concerned, only speaking for myself, it's been lackluster, but there's always optimism." He said his partner, Jeffrey Myers, sold some Eskimo and Northwest Coast material during the two-hour preview Saturday morning. The early buyers session paid an admission of $35.

One dealer questioned the need for it. "I think to shut it off to the public for the first two hours of the show is not the best way," he said, requesting anonymity. He thought it should open to the public at ten. The public session, at $10 each, began at noon Saturday and ended at 6 p.m. Sunday hours were 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"I had a good show in Santa Fe with the same promoter," Kip McKesson said. "I've been doing shows in Washington for fifteen years, and it's always a struggle, seems to me."

"A lot of us have done well but me, unfortunately; I have not done so well," said R.W. "Jerry" Bock of Splendors of the World, Haiku, Hawaii. "But we had a very good last show with Barry Cohen," he said of the Santa Fe event. "I sold more than four hundred thousand dollars."

Bock said the same type of material attracted few sales in Washington. "In the Southwest it's more a part of their culture because of their Hispanic origins. Museums are very much geared to promote that. Over here, it should be that way, but I guess because it's a new show it will take a little time. I had a lot of interest and think I will have a lot of follow-ups after."

Bock said Indian arts shows in New York City are well attended. "Yesterday the crowd was good in the afternoon; we had maybe two or three hundred people. In New York we have many thousands of people."

Bock believes a D.C. show will take time to get established. "In two or three shows it will sink in that this is the place, an event to go to, that we have museum-quality artifacts, and the only other place you can see them is in a museum. Here you can literally buy something that is hundreds of thousands of years old."

Bock pointed to a section of old cloth displayed on the back wall of his booth. It was decorated with human hand prints. "This is when we defined ourselves as human beings," he said. "This is when people left the caves and for the first time in their lives differentiated themselves from animals. When you go into Spanish and French caves you will always see handprints on the cave wall." He said his cloth with handprints was 2500 years old and priced at $4500.

Bock said the proximity to museums was not as advantageous as expected because they prohibited promotional material for the Indian arts show to be displayed or distributed. "Barry Cohen went out of his way to promote this, but I guess we can't put up posters, we are not allowed. We tried to go to the curators of the Smithsonian, Dumbarton Oaks [a historical home], the Textile Museum, the Museum of the American Indian, because these [historic artifacts] are all subjects which they represent as well, but this wasn't very much acceptable. They have a lot of regulations here, this being a government town, and they are quite strict about it."

Cohen confirmed that federal buildings cannot display promotional material for a commercial event. Deciding to wade among and work the crowd like a politician, he attended the opening ceremonies for the Museum of the American Indian several weeks earlier and handed out 5000 leaflets announcing his new show.

Commenting on it later, Cohen said, "We were all disappointed at the turnout. Sales ranged from great to none at all." He said the preview "was OK but nothing like we experience in Santa Fe." He plans to evaluate dealer feedback to determine what changes to make but plans to return to the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in October.

For more information about his shows, go to (www.b4rtime.com) or call (703) 914-1268.