FIELD TRIP: TUCSON GEM & MINERAL SHOW

Stunning cluster of quartz crystals roughly two feet in diameter

Photo - Richard Snyder

According to their website, the

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

is the "largest, oldest and most prestigious gem and mineral show in the world." The show has "enjoyed international stature since the 1970s, and was the first gem and mineral show to bring the hobby enthusiast, the public, and the curator/professional together for discovery and discussion."

Paul Wiseman and Richard Snyder in front of a spectacular crocodile fossil

Photos - Kirsten Honeyman, unless otherwise indicated

Paul Wiseman has been attending the Tucson show for years. It is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind treasures for clients looking for that certain something to enhance their decor. Paul has a long-standing relationship with many of the top dealers, and they greet him by name as he moves about the show. Paul's spouse, Richard Snyder, has had a life-long passion for minerals, and the two make a formidable team: Paul zeros in on what is aesthetically beautiful while Richard adds helpful guidance as to the specimen's quality and provenance.

Pair of fossilized palm fronds

Museum quality Woolly Mammoth fossil (10,000 to 15,000 years old) found in North America

Fabulous conference table made of two booked slabs of fossilized wood

Paul sits on a naturally formed lingham stone found in the Narmada River in India

Paul and Richard always stay at the

Arizona Inn

, a storied property with great character and charm. The exceedingly polite young staff add to the of pleasure staying at the hotel.

Grounds of the Arizona Inn

Photo - Inn website

Cozy library where morning coffee and afternoon tea are served

Photo - Inn website

Tucson is a fascinating area, so taking side trips from the show rounds out the experience. The flora and fauna of the surrounding high desert create an other-worldly experience.

Paul at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson

Mountain lion exhibit at the museum

Photo - Richard Snyder

Saguaro cacti on the grounds of the museum

Returning from the show, one feels as though one has been in a far-away land, not a place only a hop, skip, and jump from California!

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INNER SPACES BOOK: LOOKING BACK AT 2014

Moritz Hammer (KGM Architectural Lighting), James Hunter (TWG design principal), Jessica Barnard (TWG designer), and Mauricio Muñoz (TWG design principal)

This time last year The Wiseman Group was fêted by Therien & Co. at their La Cienega showroom in Los Angeles. The occasion? The publication of TWG's book, 

Inner Spaces: Paul Vincent Wiseman and The Wiseman Group

. It was fitting that the SoCal company played host to the San Francisco-based Wiseman Group: Therien, 

a 

Dessin Fournir

 company, h

ad deep roots in the San Francisco Bay Area before opening a Los Angeles showroom in the late 1980s.

JP Hayden (Hayden & Fandetta Rare Books) and

 Patri

cia Sims (Therien)

Chase Roberson (TWG) and Andrew Huge (Deloitte Consulting)

Kirsten Honeyman (TWG blog author) and Michael Danahy (Writer/Producer)

Devin Donner (Rudin Donner Design, Inc.) 

and Bill Dono

hoe (Donohoe Design Works)

with 

Kevin Peters (TWG CEO)

The company is a purveyor of timeless period antiques, but in keeping with shifting design tastes, has also created a division devoted to 20th Century classics. Thus their location on La Cienega Boulevard is known throughout the U.S. and Europe as a one-stop source of premier quality decorative arts.

Mary Kate Spach and Tim Barber (both of Tim Barber Ltd. Architecture), Keith Granet (Granet Associates), and Brenda Mickel (TWG design principal)

Suzanne Shepela, 

Brian Pinkett

, and 

Lauren Fulton (all of 

Landry Design 

Group)

Guests were able to wander among the company's several showrooms and take in their lovely contents. CEO Kevin Peters greeted guests and Paul Wiseman signed books during the event. Wiseman Group Designers, Mauricio Munoz, Brenda Mickel, and James Hunter mingled with guests and sipped celebratory wine.

Phaedra Wilson (Munder Skiles)

Alison

 Chozen and TWG client 

Jill 

Chozen

Tom Stanley, Ron Woodson (Woodson & Rummerfield's), and Rocky La Fleur (Kneedler|Fauchère)

Paul Wiseman (TWG founder and president)

An after-party dinner was hosted by The Wiseman Group at nearby Ago. All in all, a lovely evening!

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INNER SPACES BOOK: C. MARIANI ANTIQUES AND SFC&G HOST A PARTY FOR THE WISEMAN GROUP

Paul Wiseman, SFC&G Editor-in-Chief Alisa Carroll, and Buzz Kaplan, showroom manager of C. Mariani

"Le Tout-San Francisco" turned out recently to celebrate The Wiseman Group's newly released book,

Inner Spaces.

The party was hosted by C. Mariani and

San Francisco Cottages & Gardens

magazine. The evening marked the first time Mr. Mariani had opened his showroom to hold such an event -- testament to the positive nature of his long-standing relationship with Paul Wiseman and The Wiseman Group designers. Guests mingled among antique pieces of rare and exceptional quality, providing a novel and elegant backdrop for the party.

Brenda Mickel, design principal at TWG, host Claudio Mariani, and Amy Weaver

C. Mariani Antiques, Restoration, and Custom

 is the largest U.S. wholesaler of high-end 17th, 18th, and 19th century European antiques. The firm enjoys an excellent reputation as one of the top antique dealers in the world. Showroom manager Buzz Kaplan likes to say, "It's like the Louvre, only with price tags." The firm also employs thirty carpenters, upholsterers, specialty painters, gilders, refinishers, metalists, and restorers for their custom furniture and restoration services.

Paul Wiseman and Greg McIntyre of Shears and Window

Paul Wiseman and Karin Payson

Paul Wiseman and spouse Richard Snyder

Paul Wiseman

and Timmie Friend

Candace Barnes a

nd Alisa Carroll

SFC&G

 launched in April 2014, and there has been no looking back. The magazine quickly established itself as a quality publication showcasing the best of the greater Bay Area design world. According to Editor-in-Chief Alisa Carroll, the magazine seeks to reflect a sense of place -- "the soul and sensibility" of the Northern California landscape, with its physical beauty and The City's innovative culture. It covers topics of local interest from the Monterey Peninsula, to Silicon Valley, to the wine country of Napa and Sonoma, to the Sierra Mountains of the Tahoe Region. Hawaii draws many Bay Area vacationers to her shores, so

SFC&G

plans to occasionally feature the Aloha State as well. In a media environment often oriented to the tumult of the world, it is grounding to peruse the pages of a magazine that serves to remind us we live in such an exceptionally beautiful and creative locale.

Laurel Sprigg and Buzz Kaplan

Kirk Phillips of Shears and Window, Eric Petsinger of Epoca, and Kendra Boutell of Via

John and Heather Little with Paul Wiseman

Gina Jorasch

Riana Lum of C. Mariani with JT and Suzanne Crandall

Tom O'Connor and Linette Reid

John and Carolyn MacKenzie with Stefan Ziegler

Chase Roberson, assistant to Paul Wiseman, Ned Mobley, and Paul Wiseman

Monica Duque with Andrea Suarez Barlow, in background Catherine Wu of Anthem and Debbie Gray of DeSousa Hughes

Carrie Swing and Gracie Hurtado of Waterworks

Cheryl DuCote

Claudio Mariani, Greg MacIntyre, and Amy Weaver

TWG staff Samantha Schiff, Stephanie Paul, Kelsey Mazzotta, and Eloisa Saquilayan

Angus Whyte

and Michelle Kender

Paul Wiseman, Massy Mehdipour, Joy Venturini Bianchi, Alfredo Pedroza

Claudio Mariani and Kay Evans of RH

A heartfelt thanks to Claudio Mariani, Buzz Kaplan, Riana Lum, and the entire staff at C. Mariani for all their tremendous efforts putting together such a lovely event. Many thanks to Alisa Carroll and

SFC&C

for co-hosting. Be sure to look for coverage of this event in their

February 2015 issue

. And finally, thanks to Stout Bookstore for being on hand to help with the book signing.

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