SOFA CHICAGO 2007 SMASH HIT
“MASSIVE CROWDS,” “TRUE CONNOISSUERSHIP,”
“YOUNGER COLLECTORS,” “NEW CLIENTS”

CHICAGO—NOVEMBER 12. The 14th Annual International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art exposition in Chicago opened Thursday, Nov. 1, with the largest buying crowd on record. An estimated 3,200 people jammed the aisles of Navy Pier's Festival Hall during opening night's Mise en Scène and public preview, which kept the 100 participating art dealers from 20 countries busy with on-the-spot achieved sales. A record 2845 persons attended 29 Lecture Series presentations and visitors enjoyed 7 special exhibits including Israeli and Palestinian art on the theme of reconciliation, and contemporary furniture featuring cutting-edge design by icons like UK's knighted John Makepeace. The three-day show drew an estimated 34,000 visitors.

Mark Lyman, Founder/Director of SOFA CHICAGO and its sister fair SOFA NEW YORK said, “An excellent, qualified crowd. The aisles were always busy and happily, gallery sales and attendance were up, with a growing presence of younger collectors. A record number of visitors attended the Lecture Series and enjoyed new events both at the show and at Chicago’s world-class art institutions. It was a great weekend.”

Victor Armendariz of Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago said, “Our opening night was unbelievable! Crowds were unstoppable, they poured in at 5:00 pm and ran to what they wanted to see and bought up a storm!” Top sales at Ann Nathan included the sell out of 14 of Cristina Cordova’s challenging, magically realistic figural sculpture in clay.

Lewis Wexler of Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia said, “Fantastic opening! Best I’ve ever had, better than I could imagine.” Top sales included major pieces by William Morris, Dan Dailey and Dominic Labino. Leo Kaplan Modern, New York who teamed this year with Galerie Vee from Hong Kong also reported an excellent show, selling new sculpture in glass by Dan Dailey, José Chardiet and John Lewis.

Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO enjoyed major sales of Jun Kaneko's sculpture in ceramics and Galleri Grønlund, Copenhagen sold out almost its entire stand of Danish glass sculpture and vessel forms.

Jim Schantz of Holsten Galleries, Stockbridge, MA said, “We had an excellent opening night, best in years—beyond our expectations.  One-half of our sales were to new clients.”  Holsten reported “doing extremely well with both our shows” –major installations of new sculpture in glass by Dale Chihuly and Italian virtuoso Lino Tagliapietra.  Collectors snapped up Chihuly’s exuberant new black glass sculpture including his Ebony Gilded Chandelier specifically created for the fair selling for $200,000, as well as 8 noir vessel forms and wall paintings.

Holsten Galleries sold 10 major vessels and wall sculpture by Lino Tagliapietra’s including his newly revisited black and white series. The ever high-spirited, warm and humorous Tagliapietra spoke to a standing room-only crowd of 270 admirers in the SOFA Lecture Series. Anne Meszko, Director of Educational Programming, reported a record 2,845 persons attended 29 Lecture Series presentations on Friday and Saturday.

Michael Heller of Heller Gallery, New York said they had “A very good opening!” reporting sales “to new collectors and two museum sales.” Heller Gallery sold out its focus show of stunning new Janus series sculptures in glass by the Swedish master of sand-casting, Bertil Vallien, whose ethereal pieces reference myth, archeology and the elusive human imagination.

Donna Schneier, New York, said, “Opening night was great and we had a wonderful show. Crowds were huge but they were also enthusiastic and knowledgeable, showing an impressive level of true connoisseurship.” Top sales included Betty Woodman's rare triptych of ceramic vessels and a large scale sculpture in glass by Howard Ben Tre.

Mingling with seasoned collectors was a keen new generation of buyers.  Sienna Patti of Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA observed “many people outside of the normal SOFA crowd, much younger this year—we enjoyed steady sales to people under 40!” The fair had “Tons of energy! We pretty much sold out our booth,” with clients responding “very positively to jewelry as installation.”

Duane Reed of Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis also reported sales to younger collectors: “Massive opening night crowd!  Many new clients ready to buy, had their check books open.  Much younger crowd.”  Top sales included Michael Lucero’s new Personanimal Series.

Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe reported, “Absolutely best opening ever!” Jane Sauer said “motivated new buyers purchased immediately, with very little pieces being put on hold. Some long-time collectors were even cross with us that pieces had sold by 7:00 pm!” Sauer reported strong sales in fiber art including Jan Hopkin’s Amphitrite, made of grapefruit, cantaloupe peels, yellow cedar bark, lotus pods, ostrich shell beads and waxed linen.

Major sponsorship by Chubb Personal Insurance and Collectify and support from Related Midwest made special things happen at the fair including the exclusive VIP Lounge and Inaugural Designer Breakfast Preview attended by 50 architects, designers and art consultants.  New this year, SOFA VIPs enjoyed an exciting schedule of ancillary events that included intimate artist conversations and curator-led tours of venerable Chicago public, corporate and private art collections.

Fair-goers were stirred by the dramatically presented special exhibit Offering Reconciliation, an emotionally moving exhibition of 135 works of art by prominent Palestinian and Israeli painters, sculptors, photographers and poets on the theme of reconciliation, direct from its exhibition at the World Bank and United Nations. 15 select artworks were auctioned Friday night live at SOFA including Osama Zatar’s selling for $15,000; perhaps no piece better symbolizes the theme of reconciliation since Zatar is a Palestinian artist married to an Israeli woman.  Proceeds from the live and online auction of all 135 artworks will support exhibit organizer The Parents Circle - Families Forum’s educational programs and reconciliation projects in Israeli and Palestinian communities.  Offering Reconciliation was supported by the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA), which for the 5th straight year presented another stand-out special exhibit at SOFA of top Israeli decorative art.

Another special treat at the fair was the exhibit Contemporary Furniture at Crab Tree Farm showcasing cutting-edge furniture made at the working farm on the shores of Lake Michigan owned by Chicago art collector and philanthropist John H. Bryan, Chairman of Millennium Park, Inc.  Visitors and collectors alike delighted in the fine design on view—from the exquisitely crafted to the conceptually avant garde—by renowned UK designer John Makepeace and protégés Mike Jarvi and Critz Campbell. Co-chairing SOFA CHICAGO’s inaugural Designers Breakfast Preview with Chicago designer, Suzanne Lovell, Makepeace said, “Response to the exhibit was overwhelming, not only to my work but to both Critz’s and Mike’s. (Our) goal was to create a new experience for people, an opportunity for them to interact with furniture on the cutting edge of design that they can also relate to.”

Mark Lyman said, "Plans are well underway for an exciting 11th annual SOFA NEW YORK, May 29 - June 1 at the Park Ave. Armory. Opening Night is Wednesday, May 28. Save the date!"

VIEW EXPO SHOTS AND SELECT ARTWORK SOLD AT SOFA CHICAGO 2007