International antiques fair coming to Chicago

Several area interior designers will have booths at the International Antiques Fair at 11 a.m. Friday, May 1, to talk about how they would use their favorite finds.

More than 100 dealers in antiques and fine art will display products at the show May 1-4 at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

Admission to the fair is $25, and the ticket also grants access to the art shows Art Chicago and Next, which are also at the Merchandise Mart.

These are all part of Artropolis, which features all kinds of art and culture at museums, galleries, theaters and clubs throughout the city.

Clifford Wallach of Greenwich, Conn., will display tramp art with prices starting at $100 at the antiques fair.

Unschooled artists - usually men - used pocket knives to carve these pieces from cigar boxes, probably between the 1870s and the 1940s, said Wallach.

Many of the objects are simple jewelry boxes, picture frames and cupboard furniture, which were used to decorate homes or given as gifts.

"One of the great things about tramp art," said Wallach, "is that people see it, and they smile."

Regular show hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 3; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, May 4.

Tickets for a preview benefit Thursday, April 30, for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago start at $150.

For information about the fair and speakers, visit merchandisemartantiques.com or call (800) 677-6278.