Galleries from London, Paris, Madrid, New York and across the United States will offer more than 3,000 original works of art at The 14th Annual Boston International Fine Art Show (BIFAS), which takes place Thursday - Sunday, November 18-21, 2010 at The Cyclorama, Boston Center for The Arts, 539 Tremont Street in the South End.  The show opens with a Gala Preview on Thursday, November 18 from 5:30 to 8:30pm to benefit Boston Symphony Orchestra.  The weekend show hours are Friday 1:00-9:00pm, Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm and Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm.  Weekend tickets are $15 online or at the door, under 12 free.  All special programs, panels and guest speakers are free with admission.  For more information call (617) 363-0405, or visit www.FineArtBoston.com.

The only fine art fair of its kind in New England, BIFAS features 40 galleries from the United States and Europe offering both traditional and contemporary fine art.  Only original works of art are shown, and range in price from just a few hundred dollars to museum-quality masterpieces priced at more than $1 million.  Last year, close to 3,000 people attended the show.

The show opens with the Gala Preview on Thursday, November 18 from 5:30 to 8:30pm to benefit the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  All proceeds from the event help support three of the country’s most beloved musical institutions: the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood.  Gala Preview benefit tickets are $100, $250 and $500 and can be ordered directly through the Boston Symphony Orchestra at 888-266-1200, or online at www.bso.org/BIFAS.

The opening night Gala preview, bolstered by the show’s Honorary Committee, has blossomed into one of Boston’s premier social and art collecting events.  The Honorary Committee includes numerous New England museum directors and curators, such as Malcolm Rogers of the MFA Boston, Thomas Lentz of the Harvard Art Museums, James Welu of the Worcester Art Museum and Dennis Kois of the Decordova Museum and Sculpture Park.     

Special Programs take place throughout the weekend, and draw enthusiastic audiences of both advanced and beginning collectors.  All special programs, panels and guest speakers are free with show admission.

Friday, November 19, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm – “Art in Your Home”

7:00pm – Panel Discussion

Panelists include three interior design professionals, each providing unique insights and tips from the field.  Our renowned experts will share insider secrets on achieving maximum impact when collecting and displaying fine art in your home.  Attendees are invited to bring questions on the topic of fine art and its place in interior design.

Saturday, November 20 - "New Collectors' Series"

3:00pm Speaker – “Editor’s Choice – Joshua Rose”

What does realism mean today?  What is its status in the art market?  Join Joshua Rose, editor of American Art Collector, to find out!

4:00pm Speaker - “Editor’s Choice – Peter Trippi”

Join Peter Trippi, editor of Fine Art Connoisseur, for his commentaries and insights into selected 19th and early 20th century paintings on view at the show.

The Cyclorama provides the ideal venue: a large circular rotunda and adjacent salons encourage visitors to both linger and wander.  The historic structure is located in the heart of the Boston Center for the Arts complex, which boasts four theatres, a gallery, Boston Ballet School, 50 artist studios and other facilities.  There are more than a dozen "hot" restaurants and nightspots within a five-minute walk, making it a focal point for cultural life in the city.

"We are excited that our 14th annual show falls on the same weekend as the opening of the new Art of the Americas Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts," comments co-producer Tony Fusco.  "Collectors and art lovers from around the region and around the country will be coming in to Boston that weekend and we are pleased to be celebrating it with the MFA."