SOFA CHICAGO 2007, the 14th annual international exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art, returns to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, Nov. 2–4 to present masterworks bridging design and fine art from nearly 100 international galleries and dealers. Plan now to join artists, collectors, curators and cognoscenti at the festive Opening Night Mise en scène, Thursday, November 1-truly a party with a view. Be among the first to enjoy and acquire top quality pieces at the Public Preview from 7-10 pm.

SOFA CHICAGO presents 6 special exhibits by international arts organizations and over 25 Lecture Series presentations. Speakers include: Janet Koplos, Senior Editor, Art in America; Audry Whitty, Curator, National Museum of Ireland; Jane Milosch, Curator, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Julie Muniz, Curatorial Research Associate, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and artists Lino Tagliapietra, Gerd Rothmann, Cristina Cordova, Tod Pardon, Bernd Munsteiner, Liam Flynn and many others. Special exhibits and Lecture Series are complimentary with SOFA admission.

A standout special exhibit entitled Offering Reconciliation presents unique ceramic vessels designed by 135 prominent Palestinian and Israeli artists on the theme of reconciliation.  The exhibit is presented by the Parent’s Circle Families Forum (PCFF), which consists of several hundreds of bereaved families, half Palestinian and half Israeli, whose members have all lost immediate family members due to the violence in the region; and AIDA: the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts, which will for the 5th straight year mount a curated exhibit at SOFA of contemporary decorative artwork by artists currently living in Israel.

A live auction of vessels in the Offering Reconciliation special exhibit will be held at SOFA CHICAGO on November 2, with pre-bidding on-line beginning in September; all proceeds will support PCFF programs in Israeli and Palestinian communities.  Read more on Offering Reconciliation.

Also of special note, Crab Tree Farm, Lake Bluff, Illinois will present Contemporary Furniture at Crab Tree Farm.  This special exhibit will showcase contemporary furniture made and exhibited at the working farm on the shores of Lake Michigan, featuring the work of renowned UK artist John Makepeace, as well as Mike Jarvi and Critz Campbell, both of whom studied with Makepeace.  Crab Tree Farm is owned by Chicago philanthropist and art collector, John H. Bryan, who is the past chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Art Institute of Chicago and the Chairman of Millennium Park, Inc.

SOFA CHICAGO is sponsored in part by Chubb Personal Insurance, one of the world’s preeminent insurers of fine homes and possessions, and Collectify, a leader in industry-standard collections management and cataloguing software. Their generous sponsorship makes possible the SOFA CHICAGO VIP lounge and other special happenings at the fair.

Visit www.sofaexpo.com often for an unfolding schedule of exciting special exhibits, lecture series and gallery presentations.