SOFA Chicago 2008

The annual international Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fairs in New York and Chicago, better known as SOFA, are the world’s foremost art fairs showcasing exceptional masterworks in ceramics, glass, metal, wood and fiber. Founded in 1994 by director Mark Lyman, SOFA CHICAGO held annually at Navy Pier, marks its 15th anniversary on November 7 – 9, 2008, followed by the 12th edition of SOFA NEW YORK 2009, April 16-19 at the prestigious Park Avenue Armory.

The longest continuously running art fair in Chicago, SOFA CHICAGO was inaugurated in 1994 with 58 exhibitors and 14,000 persons attending. 100 galleries exhibited in 2007 with a record 35,000 visitors, an increase in attendance of 240% since its inception. 
 


Administrative address:
15th Annual Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair: SOFA CHICAGO 2008
4401 N. Ravenswood, Suite 301
Chicago, IL 60640
773.506.8860
info@sofaexpo.com
 

Dates and price

Opening Night Gala Preview: 

The SOFA CHICAGO 2008 Opening Night Gala Preview, routinely attended by
collectors, museum curators, art advisors, interior designers and architects, artists and cognoscenti is scheduled for Thursday evening, November 6. This festive event offers first viewing and selection of outstanding master works as well as the opportunity to meet and mingle with leading members of the art and design communities. The public is invited to enjoy, study and acquire top quality art examples at this Preview Gala from 7 to 9 p.m. 
Tickets are $50 and may be purchased in advance at www.sofaexpo.com or at the door. 


Opening Night First Choice Preview
Thursday, November 6, 5 – 7 pm
By invitation only

Public Preview
7 – 9 pm 

General Fair Admission:
Dates: Friday, November 7 – Sunday, November 9, 2008

Hours: 
Friday and Saturday, November 7 - 8, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 9, Noon to 6 p.m.

Fair Tickets:
Available in advance or at the door, $15 for one day and $25 for a three-day pass. Student, Senior & Group (10 or more persons in advance) tickets will be available for $12. For advance ticket sales, visit www.sofaexpo.com

Catalogs may be purchased at the exposition for $15 or online for $20 (includes shipping) after the show at www.sofaexpostore.com
 

Activities

Special exhibits mounted by international arts organizations confirmed to date include: the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA), which last year presented the hugely popular Offering Reconciliation exhibit and was featured in the international press. Also, the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC and the Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI will mount exhibitions curated specifically for the discriminating SOFA audience.

The SOFA Lecture Series features top museum curators, professional art advisors, artists, collectors, interior designers, critics and art market journalists who will share their professional and personal experiences in the field. On the distinguished lecture roster are Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Dr. Christopher Lightfoot, who just received the Association of Art Museum Curators Award for Excellence 2007. He will detail early glass making techniques and their influence on contemporary glass art. In addition, for the first time, the International Association for Professional Art Advisors will participate in a panel tracking the roaring market for contemporary decorative arts and design. 


Friday, November 7th


9:00 – 10:30 am
Room 301 
Fiber Forum I 

Fiber artists Lanny Bergner, Jennifer Falck Linssen, Mary Giles and Michelle Sales. Presented by Friends of Fiber Art International
Represented by (in order) Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia; del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles; Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis; Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia 


9:00 – 10:00 am
Room 309 
Emerging Artists 2008 

Artists Daniel Di Caprio, Caroline Gore and Sharon Massey on the development of their provocative jewelry. Sponsored by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). Represented (in order) by Charon Kransen Arts, New York; Ornamentum, Hudson, NY; Charon
Kransen Arts, New York 


10:00 – 11:00 am
Room 309 
Collecting Collectors/Constructing Collections 

Bruce W. Pepich, executive director and curator of collections at the Racine Art Museum (RAM), speaks with major collectors about relationships between artists, collectors and RAM. 


10:00 – 11:00 am
Room 305 
Art titling, research and due diligence
Chubb 


10:30 am - noon
Room 301 
Fiber Forum II 

Fiber artists Anastasia Azure, Jan Hopkins, Lindsey Ketterer Gates and Karyl Sisson. Presented by Friends of Fiber Art International
Represented by (in order) Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee; Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe; Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia; browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT 


11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room 309 
Early Glass-making Techniques and Their Influence on Contemporary Glass Art 

Illustrated with the work of artists Iwao Matsushima and Miriam Di Fiore. Dr. Christopher Lightfoot, associate curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Matsushima and Di Fiore represented by Mostly Glass Gallery, Englewood, NJ 


11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Room 305 
A to Zobel: Michael Zobel 40 Years 

German artist Michael Zobel reveals the soul of his emotive masterworks and their influence on modern European jewelry. Sponsored by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) Represented by Aaron Faber Gallery, New York 


12:30 – 1:30 pm
Room 301 
Modernism in Irish Furniture & Design, 20th - 21st Century 

Jennifer Goff, curator of furniture, musical and scientific instruments, National Museum of Ireland, discusses modernist developments in Irish furniture from the turn of the 20th century though the present day. 


1:00 – 2:00 pm
Room 309 
The Philanthropy of Craft: Innovative Ways to Make Your Charitable Contributions Count 

Cindi Strauss, curator for modern and contemporary decorative arts and design, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Dian Magie, director, UNC Center for Craft, Creativity and Design; Jean McLaughlin, director, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; John E. Brown III, executive
director, Windgate Charitable Foundation, Siloam Springs, AR; Jim Hackney, managing partner, Alexander Haas Martin & Partners, Atlanta 


1:30 – 2:30 pm
Room 301 
Jo Stealy: Poetry of the Visual 

Stealy, a sculptor of handmade paper and Professor of Art, University of Missouri-Columbia, addresses the poetic nature of visual language, using images of her work and that of others. Presented by Surface Design Association Represented by Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia 


2:00 – 3:00 pm
Room 305 
S. Libenský and J. Brychtová: The Bravura Legend 

The collaboratve career of the two primo world glass movement stars, with collector reminiscences. Jitka Pokorna, founder and director, Galerie Pokorna, Prague, and collector (TBA). 


2:30 – 3:30 pm
Room 309 
FIRED / BURNT IN DENMARK: A Conversation on Contemporary Danish Ceramics 

A discussion of historical trends and new interpretations with Morten Løbner Espersen, artist and professor, Goteborg University, Sweden and Wendy Tarlow Kaplan, independent curator, New York Espersen is represented by Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA 


3:00 – 4:00 pm
Room 301 
Finding Room to Breathe: Challenges in Contemporary Glass 

Artist Amy Rueffert discusses the development of her new work within the context of challenges facing young glass artists. Represented by Elliott Brown Gallery, Seattle 


4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room 309 
Refractivelocity 

I connect the physics of light with Japanese space perception, contrasting the “Western Window” and the “Sliding Paper Door of Japan.”—Artist Toshio Iezumi, Japan. Represented by Chappell Gallery, New York 


4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room 301 
Enhancing Nature: Wood and Color 

Five artists known for their exploration of color briefly introduce their work, followed by a panel discussion examining this sometimes controversial aesthetic. Gretchen Keyworth, director/chief curator, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA; artists Roger Bennett, Craig Nutt, Ron Fleming, Binh Pho and Jay Stanger; moderated by Paul W. Richelson, assistant director/chief curator, Mobile Museum of Art, AL. Presented by Collectors of Wood Art in conjunction with their special exhibit, A Perfect Marriage: Wood and Color. Represented by (in order) the National Craft Gallery of Ireland, Kilkenny; del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles; del Mano Gallery; del Mano Gallery; Leo Kaplan Modern, New York 


Saturday, November 8th


9:30 – 10:30 am
Room 309 
Balancing Acts - Collecting for the Museum of Arts and Design 

Collecting strategies in the real vs. ideal world: MAD’s permanent jewelry collection and inaugural exhibition at its new home. Ursula Neuman, curator, Museum of Arts and Design, New York. Presented by Art Jewelry Forum 


10:00 – 11:00 am
Room 305 
New Masters of Woodturning 

Authors of New Masters of Woodturning explain why they selected included artists and how to assess contemporary works. Terry Martin and Kevin Wallace. Presented by Collectors of Wood Art 


11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room 301
The New Asian Fusion: Artists from the East Capture Global Attention

What’s driving this hot market? Alice Chappell, Chappell Gallery, New York; Beatrice Chang, Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd., New York; Frank Paluch, Perimeter Gallery, Chicago; Rhonda Brown, browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT. Moderated by Brook Mason, US Correspondent for The Art Newspaper 


11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Room 309 
Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard 

Lisa Gralnick, professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses her three part Gold Standard Project. Represented by Ornamentum, Hudson, NY 


12:00 – 1:00 pm
Room 309
The Ceramist as Social Critic: An International Perspective

Aggressive, disturbing and irreverent styles reflect turbulent times and the importance of ceramics in contemporary art. Judith Schwartz, international consultant and professor, department of art and art professions, New York University 


12:30 – 1:30 pm
Room 305
Lucio Bubacco: Eternal Temptation 

Bubacco’s new work marks a high point in his career and history of artistic flame working. Dan Klein, art historian and curator, UK. Lucio Bubacco is represented by Litvak Gallery, Tel-Aviv 


12:30 – 1:30 pm
Room 301
Contemporary Wood Sculpture – Revenge of the Icons 

Mark Lindquist’s impact on the careers of the panelists and the wood sculpting world. Artists Mark Lindquist, David Ellsworth and Terry Martin, moderated by Kevin Wallace, director, Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts. All artists represented by rakovaBRECKERgallery, Dania Beach, FL 


1:30 – 2:30 pm
Room 309
The Process of Process in Process: Simon Cottrell asks “Why do I do what I do?” 

The Australian jeweler discusses the profound affect of pre-thought mental processes on his cognitive approach to creative activity. Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). Represented by Charon Kransen Arts, New York 


2:00 – 3:00 pm
Room 301
"What's Going On Up There? Oh Canada...Distinct and Diverse" 

Snow – not the only kool stuff that comes from Canada! Canadian artists Chantal Gilbert, Tanya Lyons, Jay Macdonell, Peter Powning and gallerist Mark London, Galerie Elca London Ltd., Montreal. Moderated by Franklin Silverstone, curator to Charles and Stephen Bronfman, founder and CEO of Collectify Software. Represented by (in order) CREA Gallery, Montreal; Galerie Elena Lee, Montreal; Option Art,
Montreal; Lafrenière & Pai Gallery, Ottawa 


3:00 – 4:00 pm
Room 305
Susan Edgerley: Between Light and Shadow 

The artist addresses the visual metaphors and the poetic role of light that inspire her large-scale glass wall sculptures. Represented by Galerie Elena Lee, Montreal 


3:00 – 4:00 pm
Room 309 
Richard Notkin: 40 Years of Social Commentary in Ceramic Sculpture 

Notkin presents a plea for sanity in our times: his ceramic sculptures and teapots examine war and peace, our environment, and the evil of nuclear weapons. Represented by Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA 


4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room 309
All Glass, All the Time 

Timothy Close, director, Tacoma Museum of Glass, WA, accepts Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass' annual award for an institution furthering the studio-glass movement. Presented by AACG 


4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room 301
Roaring Market for Contemporary Decorative Arts and Design 

The changing nature of the market and the growth in collecting masterworks in clay, glass, fiber and wood. Franklin Silverstone, curator to Charles and Stephen Bronfman, founder and CEO of Collectify Software; Elizabeth Levine, president of the International Association for Professional Art Advisors and Partner of Minkin, Levine Fine Art Advisors; Lewis Wexler, founder and director of Wexler Gallery, former assistant VP of Christie’s; Dale and Doug Anderson, collectors, Palm Beach and New York. Moderated by Brook Mason, US Correspondent of The Art Newspaper