AD 20/21: Art & Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries, the only annual art and design show of its kind, will honor American furniture designer Dakota Jackson with its Lifetime Achievement Award at its third annual show April 8-11, 2010 in Boston. For four decades, Dakota Jackson has been a leading figure in American furniture design. Since his emergence in the early 1970s as a major contributor to the Art Furniture movement, each of his seminal designs has been a combination of exquisite craft and original form. Jackson’s belief that innovative design requires innovative technology and that manufacturing limitations must not compromise ideas have led to an unwavering 40-year commitment to in-house manufacturing.
Launched in 2008 by producers Tony Fusco and Robert Four, AD 20/21 has captured imaginations and drawn rave reviews. With exhibitors from across the United States and Europe, the four-day fair features 20th and 21st century works in all disciplines, representing major movements such as Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, and Mid-Century Modern. Notably, the show also includes outstanding 21st century studio furniture, glass, ceramics, decorative arts, jewelry, photography, and more. It is the first fair to bridge the gap between historical styles and contemporary works, with a goal of deepening collectors’ appreciation for both.
In addition, the show features several outstanding fine art galleries such as Tom Veilleux Gallery (ME), Franklin Riehlman Fine Art (NY), Gerold Wunderlich & Co. (NY), Martha Richardson Fine Art (MA), and others that specialize in works of art from the early 20th century through contemporary. Two of the fairs pavilions are also dedicated to the 11th Annual Boston Print Fair, which offers fine prints, photography, drawings and other works on paper.
In the first years of his career, Dakota Jackson’s designs were represented by the groundbreaking art furniture gallery Art and Industrie, and in 1980 by Marian Goodman’s
Multiples Gallery. Early patrons and collectors included John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Diane von
Furstenberg, Sydney and Francis Lewis, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner and Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels to name just a few. His furniture can be found in the collections of the world’s leading museums, including The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, New York’s Museum of Art and Design, The Chicago Athenaeum, and The London Design Museum. A strong proponent of design education, Jackson’s in-house internship programs, seminars, lectures and master classes have been valuable resources to numerous young designers over the decades.
Fittingly, the AD 20/21 benefits Boston Architectural College (BAC), New England’s largest independent, accredited college of spatial design. Last year’s benefit gala opening was attended by more than 650 people and raised over $100,000 for the BAC. Weekend show hours are Friday, April 9 from 1-9pm, Saturday, April 10 from 11am-8pm, and Sunday, April 11, from 11am-6pm. Admission is $15, under 12 free and includes admission to all special programs. Dakota Jackson will present a talk and receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at a special program on Saturday, April 10, which will be free and open to the public.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Dakota come to Boston to accept this Lifetime Achievement Award and present a program at the show,” comments Tony Fusco. “Boston Architectural College’s tremendous networks means the show is packed with interior designers, architects, art collectors, design enthusiasts, and others who will appreciate a chance to meet Dakota and hear him share his experiences in the world of design over the past forty years.”
The show takes place at The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts. This historical exhibition hall is location in the heart of Boston’s South End in a complex that includes the Boston Ballet School, four theatres, artists’ studios, restaurants, a jazz club, and more. The Cyclorama has become a mecca in Boston for the arts, and is also the location for Fusco & Four’s Boston International Fine Art Show (BIFAS), which recently had its thirteenth annual show.
Exhibitor applications are now being accepted for the AD 20/21 2010 show. For more information call 617-363-0405 or visit www.AD2021.com
ad2021.com
