SOFA Chicago 2009 (Event Over)

Celebrating its 16th year, SOFA CHICAGO 2009, the critically acclaimed Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair, returns to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall to present masterworks from top international galleries and dealers. The Chicago fair will also feature special exhibits by renowned museums, universities and arts organizations, as well as an extensive lecture series, all included in the admission price.  New this year is SOLO at SOFA, dedicated areas on the show floor featuring installations by individual artists outside of the more formal structure of the representing gallery’s exhibit booth.

SOFA CHICAGO 2009 exhibitors include Perimeter Gallery, Ann Nathan Gallery and Marx-Saunders Gallery of Chicago; Litvak Gallery of Israel; Galleri  Udengaard and Galleri Grønlund of Denmark; Galleri Norsu of Finland; Kirra  Gallery of Australia; Galerie Porkona of Czechoslovakia; and William Zimmer Gallery of Mendocino, California.

Special Exhibits to be mounted by international arts organizations confirmed to-date include the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA), which two years ago presented the hugely popular Offering Reconciliation exhibit featured in the international press; the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts; American Association of Woodturners; and BIGG: Breakthrough Ideas in Global Glass, presented by Ohio State University and Hawk Galleries.  Returning by popular demand is the Corning Museum of Glass’ Hot Glass Roadshow, a mobile glassblowing studio.

The SOFA Lecture Series will again feature 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. Speakers include Janet Koplos, former senior editor, “Art in America,” and currently editor of “American Craft” and Chicago architect George Larsen discussing his recent trip to Iran with Persian carpet dealers Geoffrey Orley and Bahram Shabahang. For a full list of lectures, lecture topics and programs, visit www.sofaexpo.com soon.

$50 (November 5 opening night preview) $15 (single day general admission) to $25 (three-day pass)

Thursday (November 5 opening night preview), Nov. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 from noon to 6 p.m.