This week only, the finest in vintage, contemporary, and modern design, as well as 20th-century artwork, can be found at the Park Avenue Armory. Salon Art + Design has returned to New York.
For over a decade, the fair has worked to incorporate art into modern life, operating on the belief that decorative objects are what define an environment. This year, members of the prestigious honorary committee span glass blowers, museum curators, and Hollywood stars. CULTURED asked a coterie of them to share their favorite pieces exclusively with CULTURED, to make sure our readers know exactly where to beeline when the doors open to the public on Nov. 7.
Lizzie Tisch’s career has brought her from insurance to fashion. In addition to her nonprofit work and place on Vanity Fair’s International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame, the industry-bridging powerhouse is a contributing editor to Town and Country and a cofounder of Suite 1521.
"This year, I can't wait to see the offerings from Galerie Chastel-Marachal. We had the pleasure of seeing her new space in Paris overlooking the Tuileries Garden and it's magnificent. Aline [Chastel] has the most exquisite taste!"
Catherine Futter is the senior curator, decorative arts, and director of curatorial affairs at the Brooklyn Museum. Recently, her work on American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1918-1939 brought her on a national tour.
"I am excited by the presentations of the two advocacy groups: Female Design Council and Black Folks in Design. Both are elevating the visibility of talent and skills of designers traditionally marginalized. I know I will see work by designers I should know about and want to follow."
Colin King, stylist, artistic director, and CULTURED’s design editor-at-large, incorporates his experience as a dancer into each of his designs. His balance of movement and stillness has made him a definitive modern American voice.
"I am particularly excited to explore the works presented by first-time exhibitors. I have always admired the eye of Larry Weinberg from Weinberg Modern, and I look forward to seeing what fresh perspectives he brings this year. Additionally, I’m eager to experience the site-specific installations, especially those by my friend and longtime collaborator, Giancarlo Valle. These works offer a fascinating glimpse into Valle’s creative world, allowing us to engage with his vision on an intimate scale."
Beth Rudin DeWoody, a native New Yorker and leading arts patron, has curated myriad shows internationally. She also sits on several boards, including those of the Whitney, the Hammer, and Parsons School of Design.
“I'm very excited by the work Michele Oka Doner will be showing with first-time Salon exhibitor Elisabetta Cipriani gallery. The result is an art jewelry collection that pays homage to ‘the Botanic Age’—a period before the Stone Age when plants and trees were central to human development and creativity, inspired by the research of Dr. Dean Falk from Florida State University. Michele Oka Doner’s designs, deeply rooted in her connection to nature and human history, reflect a time when humans were stewards of the Earth. Her jewelry serves as spiritual meditations on this era, offering a powerful response to today's ‘plant blindness’—a term describing our disconnection from the natural world due to the Industrial Revolution. The collection is a call to action for a ‘new Botanic Age,’ where art reconnects humanity with the earth.”
Suchi Reddy is guided by the mantra “form follows feeling.” The architect, designer, and founder of studio Reddymade is also a teacher at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.
“In our particularly chaotic times, the grace and beauty in the objects showcased at Salon is a reminder of [how we can] enjoy human creativity. One of the objects I am particularly looking forward to seeing and enjoying is the large inlaid jar by the sculptor Tetsuya Ishiyama, shown by the wonderful Ippodo Gallery. Contemplative and evocative at once, it’s a work that invites my imagination to rest and linger on beauty.”
Flavin Judd is the artistic director of the Judd Foundation, overseeing its art installations, book designs, and architectural design.
“Here’s three items I'm excited for in order of preference. A well done stool with attitude by Jonas Damon in the Verso x Black Folks in Design booth. Worth being buried with: a Bamana Headdress from Pace African & Oceanic Art. And, if you only wanted one art work in your house, this would be a good choice: Josef Albers piece from Zeit Contemporary.”
Dr. Daniella Ohad’s work ranges from curator to talk show host. With a PhD from the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture, she has worked in design education and theory at leading institutions including Pratt Institute, Parsons New School for Design, and Cooper Union.
"I am excited about the project by Onishi Gallery and KOGEI USA, a not-for-profit committed to promoting traditional Japanese crafts that they will bring to Salon. The piece I have selected was created as a part of a program which comes to support Japanese lacquer craftspeople of the town of Wajima, known as the cradle of Japanese lacquer art for centuries. When it was destroyed by the Noto Earthquake in January of 2024, many of its craftspeople lost their studios and the ability to work. This project comes to help them by exhibiting their work in New York and to help them in restoring their studios. This piece represents a new direction in Japanese crafts, where the artist honors traditions in lacquerware, and at the same time creates a contemporary piece, characterized by vivid colors and abstract patterns. It injects new possibilities into a century-old craft and brings it into the heart of 21st-century contemporary art."
Jen Rubio is the founder and CEO of luggage manufacturer Away, a partner at jewelry box retailer Trove, and a rigorous collector of artists including Ed Ruscha, Simone Leigh, Mickalene Thomas, and Salman Toor.
“I’m thrilled about the rising influence of jewelry brands at Salon this year. As a fine jewelry collector, it’s inspiring to see gems and jewelry amidst art and design exhibitors. Naturally, I’m looking forward to Fernando Jorge’s booth as he will also be Trove’s first designer in residence!”
