RECORD SALES AND ATTENDANCE AT ELEVENTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION OF
SCULPTURE OBJECTS & FUNCTIONAL ART: SOFA CHICAGO 2004

Opening Night Preview guests.

Enjoying new Paul Stankard botanicals at Marx-Saunders Gallery, Chicago.

Dealers, collectors and record crowds of 34,000 agreed that the 11th annual SOFA CHICAGO 2004, held at Navy Pier on November 5- 7, was, in the words of Ken Saunders, “A banner show.” Saunders of Marx-Saunders Gallery, Chicago, said, “This year’s exposition was exceptional, the planning was exceptional, and the Opening Night change, moving away from a charity event to a collector and dealer event, was a brilliant stroke. We had our best Opening Night by far and it set the tone for the whole weekend. It was very successful for all the dealers, I’m certain.”

Kenn Holsten of Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA, who premiered new work by Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra, agreed, “It was our best Opening Night ever at any show. Excellent collector turnout. We’re very happy—this was our most successful SOFA to-date. Attendance was strong throughout the show and we saw a lot of serious collectors.”

Collectors George and Dorothy Saxe with artist Lino Tagliapietra and his wife, Lena.

Ken Saunders continued, “Of real note was the great mass of collectors that came from all over the country—we always have the artists and the collectors (at SOFA) but this year it seemed that every collector felt that Chicago was the place to be. And of course this buzz percolated throughout the entire gallery district, and I think all the galleries in Chicago benefited from SOFA.”

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SOFA CHICAGO 2004 OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW GOES PUBLIC WITH STYLE

A savvy, stylish public added energy and excitement to SOFA CHICAGO’s Opening Night on Nov. 4, with over 3000 persons attending the Public Preview from 7 – 10 pm, new this year to the exposition. An estimated 800 top collectors, museum curators and arts cognoscenti attended the private, invitation-only “First Choice” Preview from 5 – 7 pm.

Mark Lyman, President and Founder of SOFA CHICAGO and its sister show, SOFA NEW YORK, said, “This year was the first year that Opening Night was not hosted by a benefit organization, so we were unsure what to expect—and we were absolutely delighted with the turn-out at both the Preview levels. Key buyers mixed with a new generation of art lovers and collectors, and dealers reported solid sales.”

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New art forms never before seen and rich artisan traditions come together in a synergistic explosion of creativity at SOFA CHICAGO. A sense of discovery and surprise always permeates this show, one of the most anticipated cultural events in this city. – Chicago Tribune, October 12, 2003

SOFA CHICAGO 2003

CHICAGO, AUGUST 2, 2004. Functionalism, post-modernism and the avant-garde come together at the Eleventh Annual International Exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art: SOFA CHICAGO 2004, November 5 - 7 at historic Navy Pier. 90 international galleries and dealers present a wide range of cultural expressions, materials and perceptions of art—from the tribal to the contemporary, from such diverse countries as Japan, Scandinavia, the Czech Republic, Israeli, Argentina and Australia—similar aesthetics from completely different worlds, side by side, in an affirming contradiction.

SOFA CHICAGO 2003 with Tai Gallery/Textile Arts, Santa Fe, NM

To-date 32 international galleries from 10 countries are exhibiting, including 5 from Denmark with its strong Scandinavian design aesthetic; 2 from Italy with its ancient Muranese glass traditions; 9 from the United Kingdom, where the Arts and Craft Movement originated and studio ceramics was born in the West; 5 from France with its rich history of ornament; and 6 from Australia, with its vibrantly diverse culture and landscape.

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HISTORY AND CONTEXT: 34 LECTURE SERIES PRESENTATIONS & 5 SPECIAL EXHIBITS PLANNED FOR SOFA CHICAGO 2004

CHICAGO, AUGUST 2, 2004. Providing history and context on modern and contemporary artworks and practice, 34 Lecture Series presentations and five Special Exhibits are planned to-date for SOFA CHICAGO 2004. A record 3000 persons attend the SOFA CHICAGO 2003 Lecture Series. Admission to the Lecture Series and Special Exhibits is included with the purchase of a SOFA ticket.

Noted international artists lined up to speak in the Lecture Series include:

Klaus Moje, Heller Gallery, New York, NY

· Klaus Moje (Heller Gallery, New York, NY), acclaimed Australian glass artist, master of the kiln-formed mosaic glass technique, whose experiments with the ancient technique revolutionized the art of glass;

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SURFACE AND SYMBOL: SOFA CHICAGO 2004 GALLERIES AND DEALERS PRESENT ARTWORKS BRIDGING THE DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS

Persian Wall by Dale Chihuly, Represented at SOFA CHICAGO 2004 by Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA.

CHICAGO, AUGUST 2, 2004. Major presentations in all media traditionally associated with the decorative arts are planned by SOFA CHICAGO 2004 galleries and dealers, marked by the play of light on rich surfaces and a light play of meaning in expressive new artforms.

Dealer presentations are profiled by media. Click on the images below for each category.

GLASS	CERAMIC	WOOD & FIBER	METAL

Click here for a complete list of artists participating in SOFA CHICAGO 2004

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SOFA PARTNERS WITH IFAE TO PRODUCE
PALM BEACH³
A Contemporary Art Exposition in Palm Beach, Florida
Featuring Three Complimentary Fairs in One Location

Mark Lyman (left) and Mark Carr

At SOFA NEW YORK 2004 in June, Mark Lyman, President and Founder of Expressions of Culture, Inc., producer of SOFA NEW YORK and CHICAGO, and Mark Carr, Executive Vice President, Art and Antiques, dmg world media, announced that SOFA will partner with International Fine Art Expositions (IFAE) to produce PalmBeach³ January 13 - 17, 2005.

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