There is a new antique show in town and it is being run by the Mafia, the McCallum family Mafia that is. Well, they are not quite the Mafia but with 20 staff on hand working the show, many of them family members, they were a formidable presence in their bright green golf shirts. “We wanted everyone to feel secure and taken care of,” says Elizabeth McCallum. As first time show organizers, McCallum and her sister Susan were eager to set a high standard for the inaugural two-day Showpiece Art & Antique Fair at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) on September 9and 10, 2023.

Since Renée Lafontaine from 21^st Century Promotions stopped producing shows during the pandemic and then subsequently retired, many local vendors have been struggling to find places to sell higher end antiques and collectibles. “Although we miss Renée and her shows,” says Heather Baker, “we really needed this show desperately and you could tell by the morning crowd that they missed the show too.” According to Baker, who owns Baker’s Dozen Antiques in Tsawwassen BC, “We were swamped right at the beginning but everyone was in a good mood and were having a lot of fun, and they spent a lot of money.”

Elda Woolliams, who was also a regular vendor at Lafontaine’s shows, was equally thrilled to be back selling at an in-person antique show and recognized many familiar faces. “It is so nice to see the usual suspects and to see the community back together, both the vendors and the shoppers.” Selling in both Vancouver and Calgary, Woolliams and her business partner Lyle Gyurek, were also impressed with how well organized everything was and were enjoying the show. “We are happy,” says Woolliams, “it is a great set up with friendly staff… we have no complaints and sales are good!”

Although the McCallum sisters are new to producing antique shows and are not previous collectors or dealers, they grew up surrounded by antiques and have a deep appreciation for beautiful things. Their mother, who emigrated from Scotland, brought a shipment of antiques with her when she came to Canada. “She had exquisite taste and we all had things handed down to us that we love,” says McCallum who mentioned that their mother had recently passed away.

The sisters are also both quite entrepreneurial and natural leaders who like to take charge, especially when they see a gap that needs to be filled. When they heard that Vancouver could use a high-end antique show, they did their homework and started to put a plan into motion. They were determined to produce a quality show, but also wanted to “create a unique experience and a chance for people to connect.”

However, they also wanted to do things their own way and decided to include contemporary art, inviting several local artists to sell their work at the show. “Art is beautiful,” says McCallum, “and an important part of what we wanted to do as we feel that art and antiques go well together.”

With antique dealers set up in the main auditorium, the artists were grouped together in a smaller room just to the left of the main entrance. One of the artists who stood out was a young man with long curly black hair, wearing a white shirt with a black tie, standing in front of a series of photographs. Turns out this was Elizabeth McCallum’s son, Mungo Dulmage. Although only 19, he has already established himself as a sought after industrial and street photographer who specializes in taking photographs of the local underground music scene.

Elizabeth’s other son, Sebastian, was also at the show working at the front door and enjoying being part of the “family business.” It truly was a family affair, with their husbands also on site along with their sister Janie and other family members. Together, in a sea of green, they were all there proudly supporting Elizabeth and Susan with their first Showpiece Art & Antique Fair.

By all accounts, the show was a success with both the vendors and shoppers. However, there were some challenges along the way, especially in attracting more vendors. “We were untested,” says McCallum, “but we have now proven ourselves and believe that more people will sign up for our show next year.” They also plan to expand future shows to potentially include vintage clothing and perhaps even have antique cars parked out front. No doubt, the McCallum Mafia will be on hand to support vendors and shoppers while also keeping an eye on things.

Reprinted with permission from Canadian Antiques & Vintage magazine. For subscription information to Canada’s only national antiques and vintage publication, please call toll-free 1.866.333.3397