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About Sanford L. Smith + Associates
In 2024, after the retirement and passing of its founder, Sanford L. Smith, SLSA’s leadership mantle was handed to partners Jennifer Stark and Nicky Dessources, who will see the company and brands it represents into the future. They look forward to continuing Sanford Smith’s legacy and taking the company into new and exciting territories in the coming years.
Nicky Dessources, Vice President and Executive Director of Salon Art + Design, leads all aspects of the fair’s highly anticipated New York and Dallas events. In her role, Nicky collaborates closely with the fair’s galleries, a global network of collectors, and institutional audiences, ensuring an unparalleled experience for all participants. She is entrusted with shaping the fair’s vision, driving innovation, and further solidifying its reputation as a premier global platform for discovery, creativity, and cultural exchange. Nicky brings a wealth of experience to her role, having previously served as Fair Director of the ABAA NY International Antiquarian Book Fair (NYIABF) and Fairs Logistics and Operations Director at SLSA, where she excelled in event strategy and operational leadership. Prior to joining the team, she built a successful photography business and honed her expertise as an archivist for esteemed institutions, including the Richard Avedon Foundation and National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. Her unique blend of artistic and organizational skills continues to shape the success and growth of Salon Art + Design.
Jennifer Stark, President and CEO, oversees the day-to-day operations, cultivates client relationships, and spearheads marketing initiatives at SLSA. In her leadership role, she collaborates closely with Nicky Dessources to drive business development and secure new opportunities for the organization. Jennifer joined SLSA in 2014, bringing with her a wealth of expertise accumulated over 25 years in designing, managing, and executing multi-million-dollar, high-profile events. Her impressive portfolio includes work with renowned organizations such as Park Avenue Armory, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, where she honed her skills in event strategy, stakeholder engagement, and organizational growth. Jennifer developed her business acumen early in her career, embarking on a venture in toy manufacturing in her 20s. She designed, produced, and marketed juggling ball sets and other products, successfully distributing them across the United States. Her entrepreneurial spirit extended to engaging directly with customers, teaching thousands of individuals the art of juggling at prominent trade shows, including the New York Toy Fair, Dallas Gift Market, and others.
A Legacy of Shows
Ongoing
The New York International Antiquarian Book Fair
New York, NY, 1979-current
The Art Dealers Association of America
New York, NY, 1989-current
New York, NY, 2012-current
The Ephemera Society of America
ESA Annual Conference and Fair
Old Greenwich, CT, 2024-current
Past
Fall Antiques Show
New York, NY, 1979-1999
(Original) AIPAD Fair
New York, NY, 1979
The Princeton Antiques Show
Princeton, NJ, 1984
Modernism
New York, NY, 1985-2010
Works on Paper
New York, NY, 1986-1998
Antiquarian + Landmarks Antiques Show
Hartford, CT, 1986-1990
Images + Objects
Boston, MA 1987
The Great American Quilt Festival
1987-1991
The Philadelphia Antiques Show
Philadelphia PA, 1987-1997
The Photography Fair
New York, NY, 1989
The Chicago Art + Antiques Show
Chicago, IL, 1991-1996
The Connecticut Antiques Show
Hartford, CT, 1991
The Outsider Art Fair
New York, NY, 1992-2012
National Black Fine Art Show
New York, NY, 1994-1998
Art at the Armory
New York, NY, 1998
Art 20
New York, NY, 2001
PADNY
New York, NY, 2011
The International Fine Print Dealers Association Fair
New York, NY, 1987-2016
About Sanford L. Smith
Sanford Smith was known for initiating innovative niche art and design fairs that have generated international collecting categories for over 40 years.
He created the first All American Antiques Show at the Pier in 1980, when both the idea of an entirely American fair and any fair held at such a remote venue were nearly unthinkable. His second show, Modernism, was seminal; at that time, no other show had presented design material from 1860-1960 as a collecting category.
The fair enjoyed a successful run for over 25 years and spawned a number of shows exhibiting material from that period, but Modernism was indisputably the first and now Salon Art + Design continues the tradition. Works on Paper followed Modernism, presenting a wide variety of watercolors, photographs, prints, drawings and pastels from Old Master to Contemporary. Again, Smith was the pioneer in the field which also generated more shows and even a magazine on the subject.
We are sad to report that our friend and the founder of Sanford L. Smith + Associates, Sanford "Sandy" Smith, has passed away at the age of 84. For more information, please click here.
Header images courtesy of Anton Kern Gallery, Atelier FM, BFA. Black Folks in Design | Verso, David Gill Gallery, Galerie Marcilhac, Les Enluminures, Peter Baker, The New Yorker