SOFA CHICAGO 2008 - November 6-9, 2008 at Chicago's Navy Pier

CHICAGO – Celebrating its 15th anniversary, SOFA CHICAGO 2008, the critically acclaimed Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair returns to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, November 7–9, to present work from 100 international galleries and dealers from 16 countries. View dealer highlights. Hot on the heels of its successful 11th New York show, the 15th Chicago fair also features special exhibits by internationally renowned art museums, arts organizations and artists as well as an extensive lecture series, both included in the admission price.

“With important international galleries showcasing the latest work by established artists like Lino Tagliapietra, Dale Chihuly, Ruth Duckworth and Lenore Tawney, as well as emerging artists, leading museum curators and art advisors, along with both seasoned and novice collectors, see this global event as the pivotal fair for both cutting-edge contemporary work as well as historic material,” said Mark Lyman, founder/director of SOFA CHICAGO and SOFA NEW YORK. “More than ever, that sophisticated art community considers SOFA a vibrant and integral part of Chicago’s respected heritage of contemporary decorative arts and design.”

According to Lyman, SOFA boasts an unrivalled educational component of specially curated on-site exhibitions and lectures so that both long time and novice collectors can appreciate, understand and value the new and historical artistry showcased. He cites the presence of more than 400 artists on the fair floor adding yet another dimension to the collecting experience, such as William Hunter, whose work is now touring the country in a museum retrospective, and Karen LaMonte, who also has achieved numerous museum placements.

Fair dealers from over 16 countries to date including Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom (England and Ireland) join American blue-chip galleries such as Heller Gallery and Leo Kaplan Modern of New York; Perimeter Gallery and Ann Nathan Gallery of Chicago; Holsten Galleries of Stockbridge MA and del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles to present dazzling contemporary glass art based on centuries-old Venetian traditions, sculptural Japanese ceramics, superb hollowware by Scandinavian silversmiths, contemporary furniture and wood art, and the most avant-garde American and European jewelry. View dealer highlights.

A special exhibition presented by Litvak Gallery, Tel Aviv, is devoted to the compelling surreal glass art of Venetian artist Lucio Bubacco, master of the historic “lume” glass technique and who draws from Greek, Roman and Byzantine classic art as well as medieval and renaissance theater and La Commedia dell’Arte for inspiration. Bubacco’s work has been lauded by museum curators and collectors internationally. Read more about Bubacco's artistry in our Dealer Highlights.

The innovative VIP Program of exclusive visits to private collectors’ homes along with corporate collections and behind-the-scene curator-led tours of museums further enhances the annual fair. Special Exhibits mounted by international arts organizations confirmed to date include: the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA), which last year presented the hugely popular Offering Reconciliation exhibit and was featured in the international press. Also, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design and the Racine Art Museum will mount exhibitions curated specifically for the discriminating SOFA audience.

The SALON SOFA Lecture Series features 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. On the distinguished lecture roster are Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Dr. Christopher Lightfoot, who just received the Association of Art Museum Curators Award for Excellence 2007. He will detail Early Glass Making Techniques and their Influence on Contemporary Glass Art. In addition, for the first time, the International Association for Professional Art Advisors will participate in a panel tracking the roaring market for contemporary decorative arts and design. And new this year! SOFA SALON Film Series!

SOFA is also pleased to announce the creation of its new National Design Committee, co-chaired by prominent interior designers and architects John Barman, Holly Hunt, Amy Lau, Suzanne Lovell and Alison Spear. The 2nd annual Designer Champagne Breakfast will again take place prior to the opening of the fair on Friday, Nov. 7.

The SOFA CHICAGO 2008 Opening Night Preview Gala, routinely attended by collectors, museum curators, art advisors, interior designers and architects, artists and cognoscenti is scheduled for Thursday evening, November 6. This festive event offers first viewing and selection of outstanding master works as well as the opportunity to meet and mingle with leading members of the art and design communities. The public is invited to enjoy, study and acquire top quality art examples at this Preview Gala from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased in advance online or at the door.

SOFA CHICAGO is sponsored in part by Chubb Personal Insurance, one of the world's preeminent insurers of fine homes, art and antiques and other possessions. In addition Collectify, a leader in industry-standard collections management and cataloguing software returns as a sponsor. More information on Chubb and Collectify is available in our archives.

The first SOFA CHICAGO Fair debuted at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in 1994, with 58 exhibitors and 14,000 people attending. In 1995, SOFA CHICAGO moved to Festival Hall at Chicago's historic Navy Pier. Since then, this pioneering fair has grown steadily in the number of exhibitors, averaging approximately 100 galleries and dealers in recent years, and attendance has increased more than 100 percent. A record 35,000 people attended SOFA CHICAGO in 2007 and the fair was marked by brisk sales by museums, art advisors, interior designers and architects as well as both seasoned and new collectors.

SOFA CHICAGO 2008 will be presented in Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, 600 E. Grand Ave., Nov. 7-9. Tickets for the Opening Night Gala Preview on Thursday, Nov. 6 from 7 to 9 pm are $50. Fair hours are as follows: Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8 from 11 am to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 9 from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for a single day of general admission and $25 for a three-day pass. Student, senior and group tickets are available for discounted prices. Catalogs are $15. For general information, visit sofaexpo.com; call 800-563-SOFA (7632) or 773-506-8860; or email info@sofaexpo.com. Group discounts are available by telephoning GroupTix at 877-4-GRP-TIX (877-447-7849). Additional information as well as images from the fair last year and art works to be featured at the upcoming fair can be viewed at sofaexpo.com.