Crowds pack armory for Philadelphia show

The 22nd annual Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show had a solid turnout with more than 2,000 attendees filling the aisles April 8-10 at the 23rd Street Armory in downtown Philadelphia.

“We had a great alignment of people who are appreciative and understand the value of handmade furniture,” event manager Stefa Normantas, of Green Tree Events, says. “This year we had a lot of help from our partners, which included The Furniture Society, Nakashima Foundation for Peace and Center for Art in Wood. They were a great group of people that all aligned and made for a special vibe on the show floor.”

The Furniture Society hosted the show’s emerging artist’s competition, won by Michaela Stone of Rockport, Maine. She won a free booth and marketing assistance at next year’s show.

The show’s traditional log-sawing ceremony featured Furniture Society trustee Sarah Marriage and Mira Nakashima, furniture designer and daughter of woodworking icon George Nakashima.

“[Mira] was really gracious and everybody really enjoyed having her presence here on the floor as well as other people from the Nakashima Foundation for Peace,” Normantas says.

“This year’s turnout continues to build on my goal of having the best handmade furniture show in the country. We are headed that way with great partners to make something that really serves the furniture making community.”

For information, visit www.philadelphiafurnitureshow.com.

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue.