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Studying art history allows students to analyze the art of the past to understand the art of the future, and on Jan. 27, Dr. Philip Eliasoph’s “Senior Capstone Seminar” students had the chance to put such knowledge to use when they visited the 62nd annual New York Winter Antiques show at the Park Avenue Armory.

The show, which ran from Jan. 22 to Jan. 31, featured a combination of pieces for sale, ranging from antiquity to modernity with some valued in the millions. The pieces were contributed by 75 exhibitors, 19 of which featured international works of art.

Executive Director of the Winter Antiques Show Catherine Sweeney Singer allowed Dr. Eliasoph’s students “behind the scenes” access to the prestigious event, even arranging “special one-on-one conversations with some of the gallerists and antique dealers,” said Dr. Eliasoph.

During the afternoon, students had to put their knowledge to the test, learning about their favorite works of art from the experts at each booth and presenting their findings to their classmates in on-the-spot lectures.

Some students’ artistic expertise paid off — Isabel Talonis ’17 was offered a summer internship with a Fifth Avenue art gallery — while another discovered a gallery to research for her term project, said Dr. Eliasoph.

Students also met up with Fairfield alumnae, including Robyn Raber Borgelt ’05, the gallery manager at Michael Altman Fine Art and Advisory Services, as well as Bailey Cardinal ’12, an office manager for Sanford L. Smith & Associates, an art fair producer.

Meeting the exhibitors was just one of Talonis’ favorite parts of attending the show.

“I got a real and practical idea about what it is like to organize the show as well as which works of art each gallery or museum found the most intriguing and sellable,” she said. “I also collected a lot of business cards, which I am excited about because it is always great to have connections, especially as amazing and powerful as these, in the art world.”

In taking his students to the show, Dr. Eliasoph wanted them to “feel empowered to ascend 'up and out' of Fairfield — with a clear understanding of the professional and career options awaiting them in this dynamic field.”

Dr. Eliasoph was appointed in 1975 as the first full-time art historian to join ������ý��Ƶ�����ƹۿ�'s faculty, and he is currently working on a visual history of the San Francisco psychedelic art movement as a published expert in the Grateful Dead Scholars Caucus.

Caption: (R) Robyn Raber Borglet '05, gallery director of Michael Altman Fine Art Gallery, spoke to students from Dr. Philip Eliasoph's Art History Senior Capstone Seminar class at the New York Winter Antiques Show.

By Nicole Funaro ’17