SOFA 20
31/10-3/11
http://www.sofaexpo.com
SOFA CHICAGO 2013 Lecture Series
All lectures will take place Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2 in rooms 324, 326 & 327 of Navy Pier's Festival Hall unless otherwise noted. Admission to the Lecture Series is included with purchase of SOFA ticket.
Friday, November 1
The Backstory
9 - 10 am Room 326 |
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Janet Koplos, freelance art critic and contributing editor to Art in America, interviews Mark Lyman and Anne Meszko, SOFA CHICAGO Founders, about the origins, objectives, high points and surprises of SOFA's 20-year history as an economic, educational and social nexus of the contemporary crafts world. Introductory remarks by Donna Davies, Director, SOFA CHICAGO |
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Presented by SOFA CHICAGO |
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SNAG Emerging Artists 2013
9 – 10 am Room 327 |
Yong Joo Kim Reconfiguring the Ordinary: Stacked and Twisted, 2011 brooch: velcro hook and loop fasteners, sterling silver 3.5 x 3 x 3 inches photo credit: Studio Munch |
Three exceptional emerging artists: Dukno Yoon, Heather Bayless, and Yong Joo Kim speak about their innovative approaches to making jewelry and objects.
Artists represented by: Aaron Faber Gallery, New York, NY (Yoon & Bayless) and Palette Contemporary Art, Albuquerque, NM |
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Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) |
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Carving Exquisite Spaces
9 – 10 am Room 324 |
Fluent Steps, 2009 Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA hot sculpted glass and stainless steel 2484 x 420 inches |
Glass sculptor Martin Blank, with his boundless passion for life, enthusiasm, and humor, shares insights on the artistic muse, his choice of glass as a medium for expression, the reality of creating art and the universal life lessons he’s learned along the way. Whether it’s a monumental museum commission or a narrative piece for a private collection, the creative process for Blank is a rich personal journey: full of trials, hiccups and the wonderfully unexpected.
Represented by Habatat Galleries, Royal Oak, MI |
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Time is the Creator if it's Given a Chance
10 - 11 am Room 327 |
Daniel Posta & Zdenek Vacek Virus necklace 1, 2013 12 x 12 x 3 inches linen, alum, Tahiti pearl, stainless steel, magnets, polyamid photo credit: Tomas Brabec & Patrik Borecky |
The award winning Czech design team Daniel Pošta and Zdenek Vac?k utilize chemical and biological processes and crystal replication to develop fascinating necklaces and bracelets that hover on the boundary between jewelry and conceptual art.
Represented by Charon Kransen Arts, New York, NY |
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Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) with support from the Czech Center New York |
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Fiber Art in the Fine Art Museum
10 - 11:30 am Room 324 |
Installation view of 2004-05 exhibit: No Boundaries: Art + Fiber, Denver Art Museum |
The chasm dividing fine and decorative art is becoming an increasingly blurred boundary as artists are borrowing materials and techniques from their counterparts and curators are frequently finding the historical nomenclature irrelevant. Dr. Alice Zrebiec, Avenir Foundation Curator of Textile Art, Denver Art Museum presents an illustrated look at museum acquisitions and the growing appreciation of art in fiber in the fine art museum. |
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Presented by Friends of Fiber Art International |
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Is It As Good For You As It Is For Me?
10:30 – 11:30 am Room 326 |
Ayala Serfaty Joy of Transition (SOMA series), 2012 glass rods and polymer membrane 180 x 120 x 60 cm Collection of Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC Photo by Albi Serfaty |
Over the last few years, the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA), has welcomed the directors of prominent US schools and museums to Israel to understand the art scene and introduce their schools. Working together with the directors of Bezalel, Shenkar and Tel Hai, AIDA has developed a robust scholarship program to connect these highly regarded programs to a specific community of gifted artists. Panelists James Baker, Executive Director, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA; Jean McLaughlin, Executive Director, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Stuart Kestenbaum, Director, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME; Amy Schwartz, Director, Education & The Studio, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY; Aviva Ben-Sira, Director, AIDA, discuss the success achieved and how this model may be expanded to other countries. Moderated by Doug Anderson, Co-Founder, AIDA. |
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Presented by The Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA) |
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Living with Silver in the 21st Century
11 am – 12 pm Room 327 |
Ovals 1 |
On the rim of art and design, from bullion to object, silver has the power to transform the mundane into the remarkable. Master silversmiths Rob and Jaap Thalen present observations on the cultural shift surrounding the decline in silver for everyday use and make the case for ways contemporary silver could and should return to our lives.
Represented by Thalen & Thalen Sprl, Francorchamps, Belgium
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Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) |
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Hybrids: Material Meets Digital
12 – 1 pm Room 324 |
Declivity, 2013 digital projection on ceramic 34 x 28 x 5 inches |
A new, interdisciplinary voice in the field, sculptor Colby Parsons discusses the development of his innovative work. Combining modern media technology with ceramics, Colby's work celebrates the historical materiality of clay and brings it to life through controlled light and patterns projected onto the crafted surfaces – revealing a dynamic unity between these very different media.
Represented by Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA |
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Transformer
12:30 – 1:30 pm Room 327 |
Whistles, 2010 red felt, metal 20 x 20 inches photo credit: Chris Wolf |
Jeweler Daniel Von Weinberger discusses the process and content of his work. A decadent artist, Weinberger imbues his Jewish religion unlikely and common objects discovered by the constant evolution of his life. Represented by Charon Kransen Arts, New York, NY |
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William Morris: Living Nature
12:30 – 1:30 pm Room 326 |
Still from film, Creative Nature |
Making his first public appearance since his retirement, glass artist William Morris (via Skype) speaks to his deep interest in the cyclical relationships found in nature and the aesthetic motifs he has adopted to communicate his understanding of this living exchange. Additional panelists include two individuals who have had the opportunity to know William Morris on a profound level: James Yood, author of several books and essays about William Morris and professor of contemporary art history and criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and John Andres, director of William Morris's film Creative Nature and the Co-founder and Director of Spot Creative in New York.
Represented by Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA |
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William Daley: Seven Decades
1:30 – 2:30 pm Room 324 |
Guardian Vesica, 2005 40 x 24 x 28 inches photo credit: Charlotte Daley |
Celebrating the publication of his book William Daley: Ceramic Artist, innovative artist-educator William Daley discusses his geometric vessels that explore the synthesis between interior and exterior, volume and surface, form and symbol. Additional topics include themes relevant to his work and teaching: practice and avidity, material, structure, purpose, place and time, and heroes.
Book signing of William Daley: Ceramic Artist to follow at the Schiffer Publishing booth in the SOFA CHICAGO Partner Pavilion. |
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Presented by Schiffer Publishing, SOFA CHICAGO Partner |
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GRADUATED GLASS: Perspectives on the Emerging Artist
2 – 3 pm Room 326 |
Stacy Lynn Smith Selection, 2009 kilnformed glass, chrome, wood 48 x 96 x 6.125 inches photo credit: J. Sayer |
How do the collector, the dealer, and the curator identify the most promising talent in the ever-expanding field of contemporary glass? How does the talented newcomer negotiate the system? Panelists Tina Oldknow, Curator, Corning Museum of Glass; Richard Whiteley, Glass Workshop Head, Canberra School of Art; Katya Heller, Director, Heller Gallery and Michael Endo, Curator, Bullseye Gallery (and recent Cranbrook graduate) discuss the shaky suspension bridge from education to professional practice in the contemporary studio glass world. Moderated by Lani McGregor, Bullseye Glass Co. Partner and Gallery Director. |
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Presented by Bullseye Gallery, Portland, OR |
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View from the Gallery: 20 Years of Studio Jewelry
2 – 3 pm Room 327 |
Jacqueline Cullen Masterpiece Ring hand carved electro formed Whitby jet ring with 18CT gold granulation and champagne diamonds Represented by Aaron Faber Gallery |
Patricia Kiley Faber, co-owner of Aaron Faber Gallery, looks back at 20 years representing studio jewelry artists at SOFA CHICAGO, the importance of SOFA in the evolution of the decorative arts market, and the gallery’s continued focus on “Randomness and Pattern” in the creative work of emerging and established jewelers. |
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Presented by Aaron Faber Gallery, New York, NY |
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My Life and My Work
3 – 4 pm Room 324 |
Tenda di Piacere, 2013 fused glass panel 43.75 x 23.25 x 1 inches photo credit: Russell Johnson |
Artist Lino Tagliapietra speaks about his life and work with Andrew Page, Editor, GLASS: The UrbanGlass Art Quarterly. Continually finding new and expressive approaches to cane application, specifically his foray into large-scale glass panels, the Maestro presents fluid amalgamations of personal history with global and historical influences while simultaneously delivering rousing works that are beautifully sublime.
Represented by Schantz Galleries, Stockbridge, MA |
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Jewelry in the Expanded Field
3:30 – 4:30 pm Room 327 |
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International scholar, author and curator Monica Gaspar sheds light on art jewelry beyond its quest for the white cube and presents an expanded field of possibilities: jewelry as an exciting form of contemporary object culture fluctuating between the public and private spheres of everyday life, art, design, fashion, social sciences, even spirituality and precision engineering; therefore placing art jewelry in the wider context of contemporary aesthetic practices and pointing at possible alliances. |
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Presented by Art Jewelry Forum |
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Synergism of Collaboration
3:30 – 4:30 pm Room 326 |
Joey Richardson Hot Water sycamore (turned, carved, pierced, textured) and acrylic colors 6 x 6 x 6 inches |
As artists push for expression of their emotional and intellectual aesthetic, collaboration presents a synergistic means of creating by breaking free of self-imposed limitations and embracing an expansive approach to design. Artists Binh Pho and Joey Richardson with Steve Keeble, President, Collectors of Wood Art and Collector Jeffrey Bernstein discuss and document the creative explosion that collaboration exerts in the field of contemporary wood. Moderated by Thomas R. Riley, Owner, Riley Galleries
Artists represented by Riley Galleries, Cleveland, OH
Book signing of Shadow of the Turning by Kevin Wallace and Binh Pho to follow in booth 1220 |
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Great Patrons = Great Projects
4:30 - 5:30 pm Room 324 |
Richard Jolley and assistant working on Sitting Man, part of Cycle of Life: Within the Power of Dreams and the Wonder of Infinity - installation for Knoxville Museum of Art |
For the past 5 years glass artist Richard Jolley has been creating a monumental, figural glass installation for the Great Hall of the Knoxville Museum of Art: an ambitious 185’ long, 14’ high, 7 ton sculpture, titled Cycle of Life: Within the Power of Dreams and the Wonder of Infinity. Jolley provides insights into his unparalleled masterwork including the importance of great patrons as well as the aesthetic and technical challenges he faced to complete his most ambitious work to date.
Represented by Litvak Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel |
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Scotland: Crafting a Renaissance
5 – 6 pm Room 326 |
Jennifer Gray, 2013 Amphora Garland leather and jesmonite 15.5 x 15.5 x 8 inches |
Artists Jennifer Gray, Grant McCaig, Susan O’Byrne and Amanda Simmons alongside Stephen Bottomley, Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinbrugh examine and discuss the inspiring initiatives that place Scotland at the front of a global craft revolution: the establishment of urban collectives, adoption of new digital technologies, alternative routes to funding, challenging academic courses, and innovative ways of cultivating new audiences.
Introduction by Craft Scotland, Edinburgh |
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Saturday, November 2
The Potential of Time and Space
9 – 10 am Room 326 |
Resident artists loading the wood kiln |
Whether, two weeks, three months or a year or more, time and space away from daily demands is an essential resource, proven in the powerful, beautiful objects we collect and study. What cannot be planned or fully quantified (perhaps until years later) is the potential impact of unexpected collaborations, different perspectives, new ideas and techniques that are integral to any community, however temporary. Panelists include: Susan Barnett, Arts/Industry project specialist, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI; Sherrie Hawk, Owner, Sherrie Gallerie, Columbus, OH; and Seth Rainville, Artist, Curator and Advisor, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, New Castle, ME. Moderated by Elizabeth Kendall, President, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts. |
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Presented by Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit The Futures, booth SE010 |
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American Craft Horizons: 72 Years of Craft in Context
9:30 – 10:30 am Room 327 |
Cover. May, 1942 |
What do Anni Albers, Peter Voulkos, Vivian Beer, and Tanya Aguiniga share in common? A place among the pages of American Craft. Join Monica Moses, Editor-in-chief and Jessica Shaykett, ACC librarian as they share a more than 70-year history and today’s innovative vision of the publication as the principal investigator, promoter, and mirror of the contemporary craft movement in the United States. Moderated by Perry Allen Price, ACC Director of Education. |
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Presented by the American Craft Council, Minneapolis, MN |
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Felt in Form, Form in Felt
9:30 – 10:30 am Room 324 |
Aotearoa, 2013 24 inches high felted wool,silk,cotton and linen photo credit :Lucien Lisebelle |
Through the archaic art of felting, international artist Marjolein Dallinga correlates the metamorphoses of shaping loose fibers of wool into a moldable, expressive textile to her own artistic journey. Overlapping the boundaries of contemporary art and ancient craft, Dalllinga’s work harnesses the experimental and liberating nature of the media into a versatile oeuvre of expression.
Represented by Option Art, Montreal |
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Art and Economics
10:30 – 11:30 am Room 326 |
David Hicks Golden Baby, 2011 9 x 7 x 7 inches glazed ceramic, luster Represented by Mindy Solomon Gallery |
What is special about the economics of art? How do we balance quantity and quality? Panelists Mark Lyman, SOFA CHICAGO Founder, Mindy Solomon, prominent gallery owner and avid art fair participant, and William Warmus, independent curator and appraiser, discuss theory and practice, creativity and income, value and investment as well as the economic decisions made behind the scenes. |
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All Things Being Equal (But Not the Same): A Conversation with Wendell Castle
11 am – 12 pm Room 327 |
Night on Earth, 2007 nickel-plated steel 40 x 74.5 x 30.75 inches Unique series of 4 in different metals Signed and dated |
The award-winning and leading figure in American furniture art, Wendell Castle challenges us to reconsider the value of objects that populate our lives. His heterogeneous body of work, spanning over 50 years, continues to test the conventions of art, design, and craft production. In conversation with Michael Golec, Associate Professor of Art & Design History and Director of Graduate Studies, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Castle discusses selected works in the forthcoming Wendell Castle: Catalogue Raisonné, the changing nature of the art market, and his creative process.
Represented by Barry Friedman Ltd., New York |
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Danish Ceramics: Trends, Tendencies and the Future
11 am – 12 pm Room 324 |
Ninna Goetzsche Uncultured thrown, altered porcelain 15 x 8 inches photo credit: Mikael Andreasen |
Birthe Noergaard Fraser, Director, Cultural Connections CC Gallery, sets the scene for contemporary Danish ceramics and its acknowledged place in the international conversation. Focusing on the divided trends at play: industrial production, designer intervention, and the role of studio ceramics, Fraser addresses the proposed causes and longtime effects for the future of this vibrant scene. |
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Presented by Cultural Connections CC Gallery, Great Missenden, UK |
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Through a Glass, Brightly: Developing New Audiences
12 – 1 pm Room 326 |
Tim Tate Dada's Dream, 2012 Cast glass, electronics, video, steel, wood |
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of SOFA presents an opportunity to ask ourselves “Where do we go from here? How do we envision the next stage of the development and expansion of the studio glass field, engage new audiences and keep ourselves engaged?” Imaginative and pragmatic thinkers Tim Tate, artist, Represented by Habatat Galleries, Royal Oak, MI; Rob Cassetti, Senior Director, Creative Services & Marketing, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY; and Billy O'Neill, Vice President of Operations, Chihuly Studio, Seattle, WA, discuss new programs and initiatives to attract and expand audiences, artists, organizations and their leaders by employing foresighted approaches to refining and redefining the relevancy of glass as an expressive medium in the 21st century. Moderated by James Baker, Executive Director, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA |
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Presented by Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA |
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Almost Perfect
1 – 2 pm Room 327 |
Pax-MAD Bashar, 2012 blown glass (Jan Erik Ritzman, Transjõ, Sweden), copper, and silver 8 x 6 x 6 inches |
Artist Michael Glancy’s extraordinary, elegant and mysterious vessels reflect his decades-long exploration of the concept of perfection in making. In conversation with Tina Oldknow, Curator of Modern Glass for the Corning Museum of Glass, Glancy discusses some of the many inspirations for his art, ranging from nature and landscape to biology, contemporary art, and alchemy.
Represented by Barry Friedman Ltd., New York
Book signing of Michael Glancy: Infinite Obsessions to follow in booth 520 |
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Currents in Contemporary Woodturning
1 – 2 pm Room 324 |
Hal Metlitzky Sunrise yellowheart, chakte viga, holly, hard maple, pink tulipwood, madagasar rosewood, old-growth East Indian rosewood, dyed birch (4,400 pieces of wood) 11.75 x 7.75 inches |
For many years, collectors and artists have experienced a marketplace where glass is hot, but are you aware that wood is firing up? Discover why in a lively, fast-paced lecture with Betty Scarpino, wood artist and editor of American Woodturner, as she highlights talented wood artists and their innovative creations. |
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Presented by American Association of Woodturners, in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit Currents, booth SE002 |
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Taking Shape: Windgate Fellows and the Future of Craft
1:30 – 2:30 pm Room 326 |
Erin Rose Gardner Engagement Ring Brooch, 2010 and Nate Moren Topographic Rocker, 2012 |
Windgate Fellows Dustin Farnsworth, Erin Rose Gardner, Aaron McIntosh and Amelia Toelke discuss the effect of the award on their career, the role of craft in their work and what they envision for the future of the fields of craft and design. |
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Presented by The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit Taking Shape, booth SE026 |
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Paley on Park Avenue
2:30 – 3:30 pm Room 324 |
Envious Composure, 2013 East 67th Street and Park Avenue, New York, NY 21’ tall, weighs 5 tons |
Known for his subtle yet complex monumental works, modern American sculptor Albert Paley discusses his 2013 installation in New York City. Created specifically for the malls of Park Avenue, thirteen, abstract, Cor-ten steel sculptures weighing up to 7.5 tons with dimensions as large as 21 feet high and 40 feet long were installed to both celebrate the city and enliven sites between 52nd and 67th Streets.
Represented by Ruth Lawrence Fine Art, Rochester, NY
Book signing of Albert Paley on Park Avenue to follow in booth 1003 |
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Translucencies
2:30 – 3:30 pm Room 327 |
Floating bowls, 2012 Limoges porcelain |
Impossibly transparent and beyond reality, Arnold Annen’s dazzling white porcelain vessels combine the wondrous and opposing forces of the natural and the artificial. As if illuminated by an internal light source, the perfectly smooth surfaces cadenced by decorative pattern reflect an artist conjuring immortal and unknown forms, on the edge of the abyss between the historical and the contemporary.
Represented by Officine Saffi, Milan |
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Intelligent Making - Contemporary Approaches to Design in Education
3 – 4:30 pm Room 326 |
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Panelists from select university art and design departments debuting in CONNECT discuss contemporary approaches being taken across the fields of art, design, and architecture, how these affect their curriculum, and how they influenced their proposals for lounge-like installations at SOFA CHICAGO. Panelists include: Stephen Bottomley, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh, Scotland; John DeSalvo, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago; Deborah Schneiderman, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn; Brett Snyder, University of California Davis; and Monica Correia, University of Iowa, 3D Design Program, Iowa City. Moderated by Tim Parsons, Associate Professor in Designed Objects, School of the Art Institute of Chicago |
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Presented by Chubb Personal Insurance, booth SE014 |
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Objectile: The State In-between
4 – 5 pm Room 327 |
Cross-fire, Teapot (Natural Occurrence series), 2010 8 x 10.5 x 8.5 inches bone china photo credit: Sylvain Deleu |
Challenging the existing divides between art, craft and design, Scottish artist Geoffrey Mann works beyond the constraints of material or process to explore the concept of the objectile – an examination of how an artifact can occupy an in-between state during the ‘event’ of its function. Presenting his new series of work, Mann discusses his integration of new technologies into the world of the hand-made and highlights the possible pitfalls of "going digital."
Represented by Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections, London, UK |
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Reinventing the Glass Experience at the Chrysler Museum
4 -5 pm Room 324 |
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William J. Hennessey, Director, Chrysler Museum of Art highlights the current comprehensive re-installation and interpretation of the museum’s glass collection, including the process and desired outcomes for this major project as well as innovative developments of the Museum’s glass studio to engage and educate visitors.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG) is proud to award The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA the 2013 AACG Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the contemporary glass movement. |
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Presented by Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass |
