Navy Pier becomes a giant gallery for 15th annual SOFA show

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BY WALTER SKIBA
Times Correspondent | Saturday, November 08, 2008 | (No comments posted.)

You needn't be intimidated by the numbers.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, SOFA Chicago 2008 displays contemporary and historic sculpture art from nearly 100 international galleries this weekend on Chicago's Navy Pier. About 400 artists are on the floor of Festival Hall at any given time, and more than 35,000 people are expected to attend.

You'll be dazzled by the scope and level of creativity and quality, yet you'll find the atmosphere welcoming and friendly. Never pushy or patronizing, the artists and dealers will gladly answer questions, listen to comments or let you browse as you wish. Whether novice or connoisseur, you'll find much of interest.

You'll see contemporary glass art based on centuries-old Venetian traditions, Japanese ceramics, hollowware by Scandinavian silversmiths, contemporary furniture, wood art, fiber art, traditional and avant-garde jewelry and more.

Mark Lyman, founder of SOFA, encourages visitors to come up with questions, such as "What was the artist thinking about?" and "Why did the artist approach his work the way he did?"

While the show itself is terrific and unpretentious, what make it distinctive are the extras such as special exhibits, lectures, demonstrations and a new film series.

The lectures are all delivered by leading people in their fields. "We encourage galleries to select artists who are excited and passionate about their work," Lyman says.

Some highlights:

* Innovative jewelry designer Jossi Harari's creations have been worn by such celebrities as Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Oprah Winfrey, and displayed at Neiman Marcus. Born in Israel and reared in Israel and Turkey, Harari grew up surrounded by beautiful objects and ancient artifacts. At age 11, he designed his first piece of jewelry, the redesign of a diamond ring for his mother. In 1992, Harari opened his atelier in Istanbul, where his designs, crafted from a variety of metals and inspired by influences from his native land, are still being created.

While living in Israel, New York native Jennifer Shanker discovered Harari while searching for the perfect wedding rings. After marrying, she realized that the 24-karat, pure gold, handcrafted designs of Harari were the perfect treasures to bring back home, so she founded Muse Imports Ltd. in 1999 to introduce his work to the New York market. One of about 150 jewelry artists exhibiting at SOFA, Harari is represented by Sabbia Gallery in Chicago.

* The Special Exhibit, "Collecting Collectors: RAM at Five Years," celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Racine (Wisconsin) Art Museum. According to Bruce Pepich, executive director and curator of collections, the museum houses one of North America's largest and most significant collections of contemporary crafts from internationally recognized artists in ceramics, fibers, glass, metals and wood, along with graphic photos and prints. Whether functional or decorative, the teapots, baskets, jewelry and other objects are all works of fine art, Pepich says. FYI: ramart.org.

* Another Special Exhibit, "Transition and Transformation: Mint Museum of Craft + Design Anew," presents a virtual tour of the Mint's new 145,000-square-foot Charlotte, N. C., facility and a collection of masterworks from its permanent collection. FYI: mintmuseum.org.

* Film Series: Ateliers d'Art de France presents the best of the International Film Festival on Clay and Glass, held biannually in Montpellier, France. (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday)

* Venetian glassmaker Luccio Bubacco has created an entire room for SOFA Chicago (with chandelier), measuring 20-by-40-feet. Construction cost is said to be $100,000. His work utilizes the "lume" technique that goes back to the 14th century and draws from classic themes like heaven/hell and life/death as well as Greek mythology.

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SOFA Chicago 2008, 15th annual international exposition of Sculpture Objects and Functional Art
When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Navy Pier Festival Hall, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago
Cost: Available at the door: $15. for one day and $25 for three-day pass; discounted rates for seniors, students and groups of 10 or more
FYI: Catalogues are $15. For group sales, call GroupTix at (877) 447-7849. Lecture Series: more than 30 presentations by artists, collectors and art professionals (free with SOFA admission); Special Exhibits: featuring international artists and organizations including the Association of Israel's Decorative Arts, Mint Museum and Racine Art Museum (free with SOFA admission); Dining: Cafe SOFA, located in the exposition hall, offers spirits, sandwiches and light suppers; sofaexpo.com, (800) 563-SOFA (7632) or (773) 506-8860 or e-mail info@sofaexpo.com.

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