SOFA Chicago 2009

CHICAGO - Celebrating its 16th year, SOFA CHICAGO 2009, the critically acclaimed Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair, returns to Navy Pier's Festival Hall (600 E. Grand Avenue) Nov. 6 - 8 to present masterworks from 68 top international galleries and dealers from 10 countries.

The public is cordially invited to attend the Opening Night Public Preview on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 7 - 9 pm for the affordable price of $50. The Fair will also feature 5 special exhibits by renowned museums, universities and arts organizations, as well as 33 lecture series presentations, all included in the admission price.
Debuting this year is SOLO at SOFA, defined spaces where galleries will spotlight bodies of works on the cutting-edge by individual artists as well as object groupings.


>> download here the press releases



Administrative address:
16th Annual Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair: SOFA CHICAGO 2009
4401 N. Ravenswood, Suite 301
Chicago, IL 60640
773.506.8860
info@sofaexpo.com

Dates and price

The 16th Annual Exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art is a gallery-presented, international art exposition dedicated to bridging the worlds of design, decorative and fine art. Works by emerging and established artists and designers are available for sale by premier galleries and dealers.


First Choice Preview: 5–7 pm, by invitation only
Public Preview: 7–9 pm

Hours: 
Friday, November 6: 11 am – 8 pm
Saturday, November 7: 11 am – 8 pm
Sunday, November 8: Noon – 6pm

* Photography is not permitted. Cameras must be checked at coat check for a fee.
* Backpacks, large purses, bulky coats and oversized personal items must be checked at coat check for a fee.
* Children under the age of 12 are free with an adult. Stroller entrance to the show is regulated by security depending on crowd size.

Tickets: 
Aavailable online, or at the door.
Cash and credit cards (VISA, American Express & Mastercard) are accepted.

$15.00 Three-Day Pass
$25.00 Groups (10 or more)
$12.00 (in advance)

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

Activities

The SALON SOFA Lecture Series takes place Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 on the second floor of the Navy Pier exhibition halls, rooms 324, 326, 327. Tickets for SOFA CHICAGO include free admission to the Lecture Series and go on sale Friday and Saturday beginning at 8:30 am. Ticket holders attending lectures scheduled before the Fair opens at 11 am, may proceed to the 2nd floor lobby of Festival Hall 2 and follow the Lecture Series signage. 


Friday, November 6th

9:00 – 10:30 am
Room 327

Fiber Art: Expressions & Aesthetics, Part I
Fiber artists Marcia Docter, C. Pazia Mannella, Carol B. Shinn and Barbara Lee Smith share their ideas and inspirations. 

Presented by Friends of Fiber Art International
Gallery representation in order of mention: Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia; Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia; Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia 

9:00 – 10:00 am
Room 324
SOLO at SOFA

Emerging Artists 2009
Lauren Kalman, Arthur Hash and Robert Longyear create jewelry that blurs the boundaries between sculpture, installation, photography, technology and handwork.

Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths
Represented by (in order) Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA; Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA; Charon Kransen Arts, NY 

9:30 – 10:30 am
Room 326

Lucy Lyon: Adding a Dimension
Glass sculptor Lucy Lyon discusses her transition from stained glass to cast glass sculpture, and her fascination with the figure, emotional gesture and placement in space.

Represented by Thomas R. Riley Galleries, Cleveland, OH

10:30 am - noon
Room 327

Fiber Art: Expressions and Aesthetics, Part II
Fiber artists Jon Eric Riis, Geoffrey Gorman, Marilyn Pappas and Kate Cusack share their ideas and inspirations.

Presented by Friends of Fiber Art International
Represented by (in order) Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia; Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia 

11:00 am – noon
Room 326

Pain and Glory: The Birth of the Studio Glass Movement
Artist Tom McGlauchlin, a colleague of Harvey Littleton, shares personal insights into the birth of studio glass and its influence on his work.

Represented by Palette Contemporary Art, Albuquerque, NM 

11:00 am – noon
Room 324 

Sam Maloof and the Secondary Market
An in depth analysis of the work of Sam Maloof and its rise on the secondary market, including the record setting sale of 2007.

Presented by Frank Maraschiello, Vice President, and Director of 20th Century Decorative Art, Bonhams 

12 noon - 1:00 pm
Room 327

Weaving a Persian Heartbeat
Bahram Shabahang and Geoffrey Orley traveled to Iran with Chicago art patron John Bryan and designer George Larson to observe the creation of Orley Shabahang's contemporary Persian carpets, which integrate centuries-old techniques with the highest quality materials and design. 

Presented by Bahram Shabahang and Geoffrey Orley, principals, Orley Shabahang, New York, Milwaukee, Palm Beach and Detroit; and George Larson, George Larson Consultancy, NY 

Noon – 1:00 pm
Room 326

Connecting Journeys
Australian artist Giles Bettison looks at his 20 year journey with Murrini glass and the converging themes that he has explored during that time.

Represented by Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1:00 – 2:00 pm
Room 324

Now that I bought this thing, what's it worth?
You bought it because you love it. But now, how do you put the proper value on it? Get inside tips on art valuation from experts in the auction, appraisal and insurance fields.
Leatrice S. Eagle, JD, ASA, AAA; Frank Maraschiello, Vice President, and Director of 20th Century Decorative Art, Bonhams; Dorit Straus, Worldwide Fine Arts Manager, Chubb Personal Insurance; moderated by Scott Jacobson, Scott Jacobson Gallery, NY

Presented by Chubb Personal Insurance 

2:00 – 3:00 pm
Room 327

Philanthropy: The Impact of Scholarships
Panelists discuss the impact of philanthropic scholarships on emerging talent in our field, and how the scholarships benefit both recipients and participating university programs.
Russell Baldon, Assistant Professor, Furniture Program, California College of the Arts (CCA); Yvonne Mouser, student, CCA; Vita Plume, Associate Professor, College of Design, North Carolina State University, Raleigh; Andrea Donnelly, student, NCSU Raleigh

Presented by Ron and Anita Wornick, Windgate Foundation, and the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design 

2:00 – 3:00 pm
Room 326

Laura de Santillana: Containers
de Santillana will discuss her artistic world through the theme of the container and her love for boxes and vessels. Hers is a progression that starts with vases as vessels and evolves into objects that contains nothing but themselves.

Janet Koplos, Art Critic and Guest Editor of American Craft Magazine and Catherine Futter, Curator of Decorative Arts, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO

Represented by Barry Friedman, Ltd., NY 

2:30 – 3:30 pm
Room 324

Mirjam Hiller: Simplicity, Intensity and Jewelry
Mirjam Hiller talks about her work and inspirations, "Sometimes it is loud, sometimes quite subtle. Sometimes it is dazzlingly colorful, sometimes colorless; sometimes it is everything at once."

Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths
Represented by Charon Kransen Arts, NY 

3:00 – 4:00 pm
Room 326

Vaclav Cigler: The Universe Through Optical Glass
A preeminent pioneer of Slovak glass innovation, Vaclav Cigler (b. 1929) has influenced generations of sculptors. Using optical glass, Cigler's geometric works invite the observation of the universe, from the astronomic cosmos to the microcosm of a cell.

Linda Tesner, director and curator, The Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
Represented by Litvak Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel 

4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room 324

LEGENDS: What Makes Them Great?
Janet Koplos talks about the work of Ruth Duckworth, Jim Melchert, Don Reitz and Toshiko Takaezu in terms of our time, as well as the context of their emergence and mastery in the ceramic arts. Koplos is the Guest Editor-in-Chief, American Craft Magazine, and co-author of Makers: 20th Century American Studio Craft, with Bruce Metcalf. 

Presented by Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in conjunction with their special exhibit at SOFA, LEGENDS: Watershed Artists Honor Artist. 

4:00 – 5:30 pm
Room 327

Identifying Breakthrough Ideas in Global Glass
Organizers and jurors of the exhibit BIGG: Breakthrough Ideas in Global Glass discuss how they selected more than 40 international artists for this innovative exhibition, on view at SOFA CHICAGO 2009. The exhibit originated at Ohio State University’s Urban Arts Space and Hawk Galleries in Columbus, OH. 
More Information at http://uas.osu.edu/bigg
Richard Harned, Director, Ohio State University Glass Program; Tom Hawk, Director, Hawk Galleries; Tina Oldknow, Curator of Modern Glass, Corning Museum of Glass, NY; Lino Tagliapietra, Italian Glass Maestro, represented by Holsten Galleries; Kelly Stevelt Kaser and Valarie Williams, OSU Urban Arts Space 

4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room 326

Michael Cooper- Late Bloomer
A visual journey in sculpture of an unusual combination--form, materials, engineering, humor and movement—even some work you can sit in! Artist Michael Cooper.

Represented by William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, CA 

5:00 – 6:00 pm
Room 324

Insight and Inspiration: The Legacy of Sam Maloof
Artists reflect on the creative and life lessons learned from Sam: his humble, down-to-earth instruction, shared workshop experiences, and lively stories of the perils and joys of pursuing artistry in furniture.

Speakers include Thomas Hucker, artist; Roseanne Somerson, artist, Department Head, Furniture Design, Rhode Island School of Design; moderated by Gail Fredell, artist, Director of Programs and Development, The Furniture Society 


SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 

9:30 – 10:30 am
Room 326 

Looking Backward: Historic Influences on Contemporary Work
The marquetry furniture decoration of artist Silas Kopf references antique furniture. The key is making the “old” modern.

Represented by William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, CA 

9:30 – 10:30 am
Room 327

MATERIAL TRANSFORMATION: Found and Procured
Fiber artists Jan Hopkins and Lesley Richmond discuss their innovative use of materials and processes to create alternative forms and surfaces.

Presented by Surface Design Journal
Represented by Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 

9:30 am – 11:00 am
Room 324

Curatorial Conundrums: From Collection to Exhibition
Contemporary art jewelry often requires touch to be understood, an element that can be lost in the transition from private collection to public exhibition. Curator Namita Wiggers, Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland OR, explores how curators communicate important experiential qualities of art jewelry in a museum setting.

Followed by the Art Jewelry Forum’s presentation of their 2009 Emerging Artist Award to artist Sharon Massey

Presented by Art Jewelry Forum 

10:30 am – 11:30 am
Room 327

Written: Word As Image
Artist Jeanne Raffer Beck makes the gestural act of writing the artistic subject of her textile works, combining fragments of contemporary and ancient texts with invented language. 

Represented by Maria Elena Kravetz, Cordoba, Argentina 

11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Room 326

Michael Peterson: Evolution / Revolution
A conversation between wood sculptor Michael Peterson and Bellevue Arts Museum curator Michael Monroe based on the artist's retrospective exhibition organized by the Museum and touring nationally. Includes images of Peterson's art and the exhibition installation.

Represented by del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles 

11:30 am- 12:30 pm
Room 324

Stories from the Crystal Palace: New Jewelry from Barbara Seidenath
Seidenath, who has been exploring the use of enamel in jewelry for more than 30 years, guides you through her world, sharing sources of inspiration and explaining her work process.

Represented by Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA 

Noon – 1:00 pm
Room 327

Progressions: an Artist’s Journey
From the crutches of skill, to a world of technique and discovery, Alex Gabriel Bernstein discusses the constant search for his artistic voice. Bernstein’s parents were among the founders of the American Studio Glass Movement. 

Represented by Chappell Gallery, NY 

1:00 - 2:00 pm
Room 326

Material, Influences, Poetry
Artist Thomas Hucker will discuss the extraordinarily expressive potential of wood and historic uses of the media—and how the dialog between the two influences his current furniture. 

Represented by William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, CA 

1:00 - 2:00 pm
Room 327

Hyper-Realistic Mosaics
Italian artist Andrea Salvador discusses his hyper-realistic, glass mosaic narratives that explore the intimate thoughts of his subjects.

Represented by Berengo Studio, Bergamo, Venice 

1:00 – 2:00 pm
Room 324

A View of Nature: the Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser
"I gave up trying to control nature, deciding instead to express ideas about nature itself and my place in it.” Artist Kurt Weiser presents an illustrated overview of his work over the last four decades. Weiser is a Regents Professor of Art in the Herberger College of the Arts, Arizona State University.

Represented by Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA 

2:00 – 3:00 pm
Room 324

Influence & Inspiration: the Evolving Art of Woodturning
Emerging artists and their mentors discuss the creative process. Artists Joey Richardson, Jakob Weissflog, Binh Pho and Hans Weissflog, moderated by Kevin Wallace, Director of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA.
Presented by the American Association of Woodturners in conjunction with their special exhibit at SOFA CHICAGO, Influence & Inspiration: The Evolving Art of Woodturning 

All artists represented by del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles 

2:00 – 3:00 pm
Room 326

Silver & Design: Where Do We Go Now?
A look at the potential future of silver manufacture in today’s world of fashion and design.

Presented by Alastair Crawford, Crawford Contemporary, NY

3:00 – 4:00 pm
Room 327 

Living With Sam
A discussion of the philosophical insights and inspiring life example of Sam Maloof. Each panelist will talk about Sam's unique qualities and what they gained from their relationships (real and implied) with him.

Speakers include Michael Monroe, Curator, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA; Garry Knox Bennett, artist; moderated by Collector Lee Eagle 

4:00 – 5:00 pm
Room 324 

SIX GREAT MOMENTS in the History of Glass
The lecture, illustrated by objects at the Corning Museum, NY, focuses on six moments in the history of glass between the 15th century BC and the present. Dr. David Whitehouse, Executive Director, Corning Museum of Glass, NY

The Corning Museum is the recipient of Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass’s annual award for an institution furthering the studio glass movement 

Presented by Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass

-2016-2016