Date: Fri 27-Mar-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: SHIRLE

Quick Words:

Heart

Full Text:

Weekend In The Country: Collectors Down In Nashville Party On At Heart

w/cuts

Karla Klein Albertson

NASHVILLE, TENN. -- While Dick and Libby Kramers' Heart of Country shows in

Nashville have always been weekend-long affairs, the Thursday night previews

are really parties with a capital "P".

The must-be-there openings find people lining up far down the hall just to be

among the first to hit the floor. Waiting collectors talk their talk while

strolling musicians entertain. Then the throng rushes in to buy, eat, and

greet old friends. No boring black-tie ho-hum here.

The news at Heart this February was an extended preview party, organized in

response to requests from all those attendees who enjoy it so much. A half

hour was added to each end to make it 6 pm to 10:30 pm -- more time to eat,

tap your toes to the tunes, and, above all snap up the good stuff.

"We've had a lot of requests to open it earlier than 6:30 pm," explained Dick.

"People on the way home from work want to be able to tell friends, `I'll meet

you out there.' We also had requests from people who were saying, `You close

too early - we still want to shop.'"

Libby agreed, "Collectors asked us to do it because the show was so big, they

couldn't get all the way around. They want to see everything and still get a

bite to eat." Dick finished up, "So this was somewhat of an experiment, but I

think it worked very well. No one objected to coming in at 6 pm, and I had to

run them out at 10:30 pm. I don't know how long they would have stayed if we

hadn't closed up!"

No doubt about it -- when the stuff (the current word these days) is so good,

it takes time to carefully examine the displays of over 180 exhibitors. The

dealers work hard to put together booths that are stunning in their

originality, mixing the best in American furniture and folk art. Then everyone

stands back and admires the communal handiwork on opening night.

Colette Donovan, all the way from Merrimacport, Mass., is a third-year

exhibitor at the show. "This is our best year ever," she said. "People seem to

be enjoying themselves, and the music makes a difference, too. They're having

fun. We have a regular-sized van. Coming from so far away for such a long

show, we packed it to the roof. We already sold a lot of big things: a table,

a two-drawer blanket chest, wonderful shelves, a scarecrow, and many smalls.

We come here because it's a different market. This show just continues to

improve."

One special attraction this February was the "New England Hearth and Home"

gallery booth assembled by classic country dealer Joanne Boardman and her

husband, Jack. They recreated the pure look and feel of their own house right

on the floor. The enclosed display was divided into four distinct areas,

including a keeping room with paneled fireplace wall in blue, $10,500, and a

buttery lined with shelves from a dismantled Eighteenth Century house in

Taunton, Mass., $6,800. A paint-decorated floor from Maine, 1810-1820, $9,500,

quickly sold, as did a precious stack of graduated boxes Joanne had cherished

for many years. The entire concept was a smashing success for one of the

nicest couples in the business.

Also on view was the "Fancy Footwork" hooked-rug exhibition along the center

aisle, curated by Robert Snyder & Judy Wilson and East Meets West.

Country Home's had created the "Country Place" exhibit as its home base. The

magazine's new editor, Carol Sheehan, loves her regular contact with dealers

at the "heart" of the business. "Dealers are a great network. They're out

there all the time," she said. Also on hand was creative director Mary

Emmerling, who lectured on "The Country Places We Love." Affectionately known

as "the queen of country," Emmerling signed her many books on how to get that

special look. Appraiser Helene Fendelman shared her expertise with collectors

on Saturday and Sunday while shooting segments for her new PBS show, Treasures

in Your Attic.

Major news was made by the return of Pennsylvania's Old Hope Antiques after an

11-year absence. Ed Hild was delighted to renew acquaintances. "At the preview

party, I met people I haven't seen for 12 years who always come to the show or

came to Star of Texas, Home in Indiana, or Land of Liberty, other Kramer

events. We did all of those in the past," Hild said. "We bought some wonderful

things, and I sold my best chalkware pieces, including a rare pair of stags

and a beautiful compote. Chalkware is very hard to find. I put a collection

together for the Winter Antiques Show in New York, and we sold some of it

there. The other pieces were all sold here. I've also sold my best pieces of

toleware."

Cincinnati dealer Scott Estepp had his own great show with a completely

different mix of decorative furniture and dramatic architecturals.

Opening-night buyers from New York and Los Angeles took home some of the best

pieces. Several items, among them a small staircase that led to nowhere and a

pair of black klismos chairs, could have been sold many times over.

Estepp said, "The stairs were the most popular thing I had. I liked them, but

people really seemed to be drawn to the stairs. They make you feel safe or

bring back memories. I set aside things for this show, which I think is more

geared to folk art, singular objects with a lot of presence."

Heart of Country has always had its fair share of dealers with a good eye and

a firm sense of style who are never afraid to push the envelope a bit in their

quest for that ultimate thing.

Rick Ege of St Louis, who sports a devil's beard and an angel's smile, said,

"What's important is a sense of design. And maybe things that make me laugh,

too. I buy a lot of whimsy, even things that are just plain goofy."

Doug Taylor of Praiseworthy Antiques adds, "I only buy things that I feel have

a magical quality. I like to see the thing as art, as sculpture. In other

words, I don't mind a collectible if its works as a piece of sculpture. I

don't give a damn if it's not labeled. If it's not able to stand on its own

without that name -- that McCoy name, even that Tiffany name -- I don't like

it. The name depletes the magic. It doesn't add anything to me."

The booth he put together with John Lynch was filled with fascinating tidbits

that drew the crowd: a graphic owl party sign, a row of gloves, a very large

Black Forest bear, a very small girdle model, and toy pianos out front that

the gifted sat down to play.

For the timid who have never ventured to Tennessee, Nashville's Opryland Hotel

remains the largest place to stay outside of the Nevada casinos. Where else

can visitors view two completely different versions of a dancing water show

with music inside the hotel? The one with the laser lights will thrill even

the most jaded. Undoubtedly, the structure's scale and fantasy bring out a

sense of humor in the dealers, which gets expressed in the wonderful displays.

After all the effort, Libby Kramer said happily, "I think the dealers have all

enjoyed it. They've worked so hard to put up beautiful booths. It wouldn't

work without them." Then she was on to planning out exciting events for the

fall Heart. The opening night party is already scheduled for mid-October.