Expanded D.C. Rare Book and Art Fair Comes to Capital Area April 17 & 18

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Whether you're a connoisseur of rare and vintage books, an insatiable consumer of comics, or a collector of old maps or Americana, you'll find something unique at the D.C. Rare Book and Art Fair. For the first time ever, the Capital Art Fair, now in its 40th season, is joining forces with the DC Rare Book Fair, the successor to the Washington Antiquarian Book Fair, for a massive, two-day event featuring 130 distinguished dealers of rare and antique books, posters, ephemera, manuscripts, and fine art including prints, paintings, drawings and photographs, you won't find anywhere else, all under one roof.

Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 at Marriott Gateway in Arlington, VA.

Show Highlights:

• The Art of Deception: Hollywood, the CIA, and the Sci-Fi Drawings that Ended the Iran Hostage Crisis – the first-ever exhibition of illustrations by comics legend Jack Kirby (creator of Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, etc.) and film producer Barry Ira Geller for the screenplay titled "Lord of Light" which was the basis for the CIA mission which resulted in the release of six American hostages in 1980. The exhibit will include the original illustrations, screenplay and proposal booklet used by the CIA to trick Iranian officials, as well as never-before seen letters between producer John Chambers, Buckminster Fuller, Paolo Soleri, Ray Bradbury and Barry Ira Geller about the film. The exhibit will provide insight into why Kirby's unique illustrations were selected for this covert operation which was depicted in "Argo," the 2012 Academy Award-winning film for Best Picture. (Kirby died in 1994 unaware that his work was ever used in this operation that saved American lives.)

     *Barry Ira Geller will be on-hand at the fair to discuss his and Kirby's artwork, as will Tom Kraft, chief curator of the Jack Kirby Museum.
     *Also featured in the exhibition are later artworks by contemporary artists who were inspired by the Kirby-Geller project, as well as many Kirby comics, rare posters, and other objects related to the world he co-created with "Lord of Light."

• The Capital Art Fair - The Capital Art Fair is now included in the DC Rare Book Fair. This year, the fair will present 20 distinguished art dealers from across the United States showing fine prints, drawings and other works on paper ranging from the art of the Old Masters to the work of living artists producing contemporary work in all media.
  
  
• The Smithsonian Libraries - The system of 21 research libraries that support the Smithsonian Institution will exhibit a unique collection of items from several of its branches. In addition, they will highlight their current exhibition "Magnificent Obsessions: Why We Collect", which tells the story of the individual book collectors who helped to build our national collections.

Inaugural Happy Hour Preview– Friday, April 17, 4-9pm
General Admission – Saturday, April 18, 10am-5pm

Details and discounted tickets are available http://www.DCBookandArtFair.com/tickets

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NOTE:
MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE INAUGURAL HAPPY HOUR PREVIEW AND SPEAK WITH EXHIBITORS AND ATTENDEES.

Photo Attached:
KentWilliam-LeadersOfCongress.jpg
Credit: Marc Chabot Fine Arts
Title: Leaders of Congress
Artist: William Kent, 1964, color slate print

Additional Photos and Art for Media Use:
DC Rare Book Fair
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cpecw3zc18m9wyp/AADG76u1clratoa68FUDyUR3a?dl=0

DC Art Fair
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cpecw3zc18m9wyp/AADG76u1clratoa68FUDyUR3a?dl=0

Lord of Light/Argo Images for Media usage: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19LmfyBj1AhmGEJE9iTVE9eTPSpCE34ot

SOURCE DC Rare Book Fair