THE CHICAGO SHOW: ANTIQUES & ART & MODERN Returns to the Merchandise Mart October 6-9 Presenting Alessandra Branca as Honorary Chair and Bronson van Wyck as Master of Celebrations Chicago (August 22, 2022) – Dolphin Promotions’ annual antiques, art and design show in Chicago, renamed The Chicago Show: Antiques & Art & Modern, will return to The Merchandise Mart October 6-9, 2022. The show brings together 50 premier national and international dealers of fine antique furniture, jewelry, silver and decorative and fine arts, from ancient to 20th Century. Taking place in the Merchandise Mart’s 7th floor exhibition space, the event is the largest antiques and modernism show in the Chicago area and regularly draws thousands of attendees. This year there will be an emphasis on 20th Century design, focused on mid-century modern, with the return of Studio Sonja Milan and Glen Leroux Antiques along with the addition of Modern State Atelier and The Art of Time. The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital is partnering with the show to host a not-to-be-missed opening night celebration and other fundraising events surrounding its return. For the opening night, famed interior designer and ambassador of antiques Alessandra Branca will serve as Honorary Chair alongside friend Bronson van Wyck, one of the world’s leading authorities on hospitality and entertaining, who will serve as the Master of Celebrations.   The Chicago Show will open on Thursday, Oct. 6 with a festive preview party hosted by The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Alessandra Branca will serve as the evening’s honorary chair and is joined by Woman’s Board members and chair Suzette Bulley and co-chairs Beth Hughes, Keevie Silvay and Heather Webster. Bronson van Wyck will be the Master of Celebrations for the opening night, collaborating with Alessandra and the team on the creative direction, as well as hosting a special ticketed “Shop the Show” preview (Oct. 6 at 4:30 p.m.), giving collectors the rare opportunity to shop side-by-side with Alessandra and Bronson. This will lead into the opening night celebration where attendees will enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and an exclusive opportunity to be among the first to see and shop the world-class collections before the show opens to the general public. Young Collectors under the age of 35 years can purchase a reduced priced ticket to the opening night party with a 6:30 pm start time. Young Collectors chairs Lucia Steinwold, Tyler Arnfelt and Emily Sturgess are planning an afterparty kicking off at 8:30 p.m. and going until 10 p.m. The following day, there will be a keynote lecture and luncheon with Alessandra Branca and Bronson van Wyck starting at 11:30 a.m., followed by a book signing by Bronson van Wyck of his first book, the bestselling Born to Party, Forced to Work, which distills the essential pillars of the art of celebration into one volume, featuring luscious images from van Wyck’s spectacular events, tips on topics such as invitations, lighting, and dress codes, and anecdotes about history’s most memorable parties.   Innovative event programming created by The Woman’s Board, including key partnerships with sponsors such as Hindman Auctions, is sure to attract many new faces to the show. “In other markets, the collectors have been coming out in droves,” explained Dolphin Promotions president Rosemary Krieger, who also produces the Palm Springs Modernism Show and the Houston Antiques + Art + Design Show, both which had record-breaking attendance this year. “Our dealers have reported strong sales with very successful opening nights. ” said Krieger. Select returning dealers include: Colm Rowan Fine Art, East Hampton Glen Leroux Antiques, Westport, CT Greg Pepin Silver, Copenhagen Guarisco Gallery, Washington, D.C. Imperial Fine Books & Oriental Art, NYC Lee's Antiques, Winnetka, Il Nally Jewels, NYC Richard Norton Gallery, Chicago Studio Sonja Milan, Chicago TK Asian Antiquities, Williamsburg, VA Trinity House Paintings, NY, SF, London & The Cotswolds Newly-Added Dealers include: Architectural Anarchy/Modern State Atelier, Chicago Arica Hilton Collection, Chicago The Art Of Time Gallery, Pembroke Pines, Fl & Versailles, France Sundial Farm, Greenlawn, NY.   The Chicago Show will be open to the public Friday, Oct. 7, from 11am to 8pm, Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 9, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to The Chicago Show is $25 per person and includes access to the show all weekend and a show catalog. Tickets may be purchased at www.thechicagoshow.net. Tickets to events, including the opening night party, may be purchased at wbnorthwestern.org or by contacting The Woman’s Board office, 312-926-9138. A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit programs supported by The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. For more information and an up-to-date list of exhibitors, please visit www.thechicagoshow.net or email [email protected].   ABOUT Alessandra Branca Internationally celebrated for interiors with an inviting flair, Alessandra Branca has classicism running through her veins—her signature style born of a Roman childhood, nurtured through 30 years of experience. Branca blends color, pattern, and texture with an abundant sense of joy, a little wink, and the wisdom to make it all work in perfect harmony. Branca’s interiors are livable, authentic, and balanced with a reverence for quality craftsmanship, finely-tuned proportion and scale, and a rigorous attention to each detail. Everything contributes to the complete vision for a home designed to meet her clients’ needs, supporting and enhancing a well-lived life. Branca delivers a distinct point of view—and a deep understanding of how we want to live, wherever we find ourselves. She launched her home collection Casa Branca in 2020 and has design offices in Chicago, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles.   ABOUT Bronson van Wyck Bronson van Wyck is one of the world’s leading authorities on hospitality. A renowned event and wedding designer to notable glitterati, celebrities, foundations and brands across the globe, Bronson is celebrated for an entertaining style that combines wit, sophistication and the gracious warmth of his Southern upbringing. He has been deemed ‘The Wizard of Oz of Party Planning’ for his vision orchestrating some of the most memorable, imaginative parties over the past two decades for clientele including Madonna, Martha Stewart, Sean “Diddy” Combs, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hermés, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Chanel, among others. Bronson is the co-founder of Van Wyck & Van Wyck, a premier global event design and production house, and Workshop, a leading full-service experiential agency for compelling brand events and experiences. Bronson is the author of Born to Party, Forced to Work, an insider’s look on the art of celebration. As the latest feather in his illustrious party cap, Bronson has launched DIO, an elevated ready-to-drink cocktail line aptly named after Dionysus, the original ‘god of parties’. DIO distills Bronson’s legendary party prowess into the realm of craft cocktails, offering hosts exotic, mixologist-level cocktails with the utmost convenience.