Following is a summary of the SOFA CHICAGO 2014 Lecture Series:
Friday, November 7
SNAG Emerging Artists 2014 / 9 am – 10 am / Room 327
Three exceptional emerging artists: Steven Gordon Holman, Lauren Tickle, and Demitra Thomloudis will speak about their innovative approaches to making jewelry and objects. Artists represented by Charon Kransen Arts, New York, NY. Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG).
Wayne Higby in Focus: A Career in Close-Up / 9 am – 10 am / Room 324
Internationally recognized ceramic sculptor Wayne Higby is the subject of a traveling retrospective organized by the ASU Art Museum. In conjunction with its fall 2014 stop at the Racine Art Museum, Bruce W. Pepich, RAM’s Executive Director and Curator of Collections, will interview the artist about the development of his work and career path from the 1960s to the present. Presented by Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI
The Artists’ Perspective on Growth and Change / 10 am – 11 am / Room 326
Artists Raissa Bump, Cristina Cordova, Arthur Gonzalez, and Tom Huang will discuss the unique internal and external challenges they experience as their work grows and evolves. Moderated by Jean W. McLaughlin, Director, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC. Artists represented in order of listing: Hedone Gallery, Leonia, NJ; Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL; John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA; and Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. Presented by Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC
Carrying Devices and Other Absurdities / 10:30 am – 11:30 am / Room 327
Norwegian craftsman and jewelry engineer, Sigurd Bronger challenges the jewelry tradition with absurdities he calls carrying devices: finely polished objects that combine natural and mundane materials with precious metals in ways that are surprising, technically advanced, and humorous. Bronger will discuss his inspiration, process, and materials for his one-of-a-kind pieces that playfully question the notions of design, jewelry, art, and engineering. Represented by Galleri Format Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG)
Fiber Art in the Fine Art Museum II /10:30 am – 11:30 am / Room 324
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston holds more than 250 works of contemporary fiber art, recognizing the importance of collecting contemporary fiber art today, as well as building on their historic textile and costume collection. Lauren D. Whitley, Curator in the David and Roberta Logie Department of Textile and Fashion Arts at the MFA, Boston, will trace the significance and development of the Museum’s fiber art collection, the generosity of donors, and possible directions for the future. Presented by Friends of Fiber Art International
Is it all About Beauty: Aesthetics and Ethics? / 11:30 am – 12:30 pm / Room 326
Panelists Dr. Glenn Adamson, Nanette L. Laitman Director, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY; Vivian Beer, artist/designer; and Cindi Strauss, curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Arts and Design, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX, will discuss and debate contemporary issues around the beauty of making and acquiring art objects as they relate to our present culture and society. Moderated by Doug Casebeer, Associate Director and Artistic Director for Ceramics and Sculpture at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO. Vivian Beer is represented by Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. Presented by Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO
Witnessing Transparency: The Voice Made Visual / 12 pm – 1 pm / Room 324
Reflecting a mastery of flameworking methodology, glass artist Janis Miltenberger creates exquisitely crafted and highly detailed architectural forms that skillfully coax the viewer into her private world of visual analogy. Miltenberger will discuss the elusive qualities and vulnerabilities of both her material and subject matter in her evocative sculptural forms. Represented by Thomas R. Riley Galleries, Cleveland, OH
Contemporary Jewelry in the Donna Schneier Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art / 12 pm – 1 pm / Room 327
Donna Schneier's historic gift of 132 pieces of international studio jewelry and the seminal exhibition that followed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, documents a vibrant period in which jewelers experimented with new materials, processes and concepts. Schneier is joined by jewelry artists Bruce Metcalf and Kiff Slemmons. Moderated by Suzanne Ramljak, editor of Metalsmith magazine. Presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). ** Catalog signing to follow in Donna Schneier Fine Arts, booth 820
The Future of Glass is Now / 1 pm – 2:30 pm / Room 326
Glass is attracting an entirely new generation of artists who are redefining its role as an expressive medium in the 21st century. Panelists Dr. Glenn Adamson, Nanette L. Laitman Director of the Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY; Katya Heller, Director, Heller Gallery, New York, NY; Charlotte Potter, Glass Studio Manager and Programming Director, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; and artists Mark A. Reigelman II and Norwood Viviano, will highlight and discuss these fresh directions and how they are engaging new audiences. Moderated by James Baker, Executive Director, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA
Artists Reigelman and Viviano are represented by Heller Gallery, New York, NY. Presented by Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA.
Oddities: The Ceramics of Léopold L. Foulem / 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm / Room 324
Internationally renowned, Québec ceramicist Léopold L. Foulem will highlight his unconventional and rigorous approach to ceramics as an autonomous art form – demonstrated through a rich arsenal of humor, irony and provocation. Foulem will survey his conceptual strategies realized throughout his singular body of works as well as the historical and artistic connections in his highly contemporary series of spatial oddities.
Represented by Option Art, Montreal, Quebec. Presented by Ceramics Monthly
A Sense of Duty: A Sense of Self / 2 pm – 3 pm / Room 327
Greek-American artist Efharis Alepedis will speak about the often-complicated process of maneuvering between her inherited family businesses and her chosen profession as a jeweler. Highlights will include her ability to remain focused while creating jewelry over the past 20 years, her process and her love of collecting jewelry. Represented by Charon Kransen Arts, New York, NY.
Contemporary Glass and Glassmaking in Corning’s New North Wing / 3 pm – 4 pm / Room 324
On March 20, 2015, The Corning Museum of Glass will open its new North Wing, the world’s largest space dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art in glass. Designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners in New York, the wing will include a light-filled 26,000-square-foot contemporary art and design gallery building, as well as a new 500-seat glassmaking demonstration and artist residency venue in the renovated facility of the former Steuben Glass factory. Panelists from The Corning Museum of Glass: Tina Oldknow, Senior Curator, Modern and Contemporary Glass; Rob Cassetti, Senior Director, Creative Services & Marketing; and Eric Meek, Hot Glass Show/GlassLab Manager will discuss how the 100,000-square-foot addition will dramatically enhance the visitor experience for the Museum’s growing domestic and international audiences. Presented by The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
The Art of Engagement / 3 pm – 4 pm / Room 326
At time when the world of art is becoming more elitist, obscure and separated from daily life and society at large, what is the responsibility (if any) for art education to encourage engagement with the public at large through, if not art itself, at least through creativity that celebrates the universal human condition? How can this be encouraged and from the creatives point of view, sustained and funded. With CONNECT participants: John DeSalvo, Illinois Institute of Technology; Deborah Schneiderman, Pratt Institute; Brett Snyder, University of California, Davis; Stephen Slaughter, University of Cincinnati; Monica Correia, University of Iowa; Charlotte Hamlin; University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; moderated by Garth Clark.
Presented by Chubb Personal Insurance
Life on Planet Earth / 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm / Room 327
Artist April Surgent spent a month in Antarctica as a fellow of the National Science Foundation. The trip resulted in a new body of work in which she renders long exposure photographs taken with a pinhole camera in cameo engraved glass. Pieces from her time at Palmer Station, the only US research station north of the Antarctic Circle, describe the light conditions she experienced and address some of today’s environmental issues in the South Pole region. April Surgent will discuss her work with Dr. William Ganis, Chairperson of the Department of Art and Design at Indiana State University and Diane C. Wright, the Carolyn and Richard Barry Curator of Glass at the Chrysler Museum of Art. James Baker, Executive Director of the Pilchuck Glass School will moderate. Represented by Heller Gallery, New York, NY
Saturday, November 8
point.line.plane / 9 am – 10 am / Room 324?Australian glass artist Mel Douglas will discuss her practice, ideas, inspirations and experiences. Mel Douglas’ engraved glass vessels and wall panels are beautifully resolved examples of simplicity - a meditation on the elements of light, space and time. She has gained a significant reputation in Australia and internationally since graduating with 1st class honours from the Canberra School of Art Glass Workshop fourteen years ago. Since then, she has exhibited widely and received prestigious prizes including the Ranamok Glass Prize, the Lino Tagliapietra Prize of Young Glass at the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark and the Tom Malone Prize at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Her work is in collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House, Australian National Art Glass Collection, Corning Museum of Glass, and Cincinnati Art Museum. Represented by Beaver Galleries, Canberra, Australia.
Wild Thing: Prairie as Concept, Prairie as Environment / 9:30 am - 10:30 am / Room 326
Saskatchewan, Canada has always been at the cutting edge of the Arts and Craft movement. Often considered quiet and subdued, this influential province engages artists in wild and diverse ways yet maintains a uniqueness all its own. Curator Michael Hosaluk will discuss how this inspirational place influences the material and content of the work presented at SOFA CHICAGO. Presented by Creative Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Material and Message: a conversation about the evolution of glass in art / 10 am – 11 am / Room 327
Long-time Seattle gallerist Bill Traver will be joined by Tina Aufiero, Artistic Director of Pilchuck Glass School, and Seattle-based artist John Kiley to discuss the evolution of glass in art. How did the medium of glass transcend from functional and decorative to the fine arts realm? How is the material relevant to contemporary art today? This trio of expertise will explore the American Studio Glass Movement from the perspective of a gallerist, academic, and new generation glassmaker. Presented by Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA.
Encouraging Bamboo / 10:30 am – 11:30 am / Room 324
As Japanese society evolves both technologically and economically, the universal threats of change to traditional ways of life results in fewer senior master artists to share their wealth of nuanced skills to the younger generation in this important traditional craft. Steven Halvorsen, Collections Manager, TAI Modern will present an overview of recent efforts by the gallery, the Oita Prefectural Government, and individual master artists as they all endeavor to invigorate the discourse, find a balance between innovation and convention, and encourage and mentor the next generation of bamboo artists in Japan. Presented by TAI Modern, Santa Fe, NM.
The Craft School Experience / 11 am – 12 pm / Room 326
Directors from five U.S. craft schools featuring intensive residential workshops present the art and stories of master teachers, students and artists whose work has been shaped by their participation in this transformative style of education. Panelists will include Bill May, Director, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN; Stuart Kestenbaum, Director, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME; Jean McLaughlin, Director, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC; Kristin Muller, Director, Peters Valley School of Craft, Layton, NJ; and Jim Baker, Director, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA. Moderated by Ennis Carter, Director, Social Impact Studios. Presented in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit The Craft School Experience
The Encounter of Science and Art in Glass / 11:30 am – 12:30 pm / Room 327
Hungarian glass artist Péter Botos, in conversation with his son Andor, will highlight the stages of his career and explain how the principles of color, form and space translate his concepts into geometric, minimalist constructions; particularly highlighting the importance of and reasoning for incorporating the laws of optics into his oeuvre. Considered a trendsetter of Eastern European art glass, Botos will share information on the artists who have inspired him both at home and abroad and what's still to come. Represented by Palette
Contemporary Art and Craft, Albuquerque, NM.
Kirk Mangus: Things Love / 12 pm – 1 pm / Room 324
Opening in Fall 2014, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland presents the first comprehensive survey of the work of Kirk Mangus (1952-2013), an internationally recognized ceramicist and head of the ceramics department for 30 years at Kent State University. Rose Bouthillier, Associate Curator and Publications Manager, MOCA Cleveland, will present an introduction to this notable artist and exhibition highlighting his immeasurable contributions to the field. Eva Kwong, Mangus’ widow, and Mindy Solomon, Owner, Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami, FL, will offer perspectives on Mangus’s influences, forms, and style – all of which propose an unguarded, impassioned way of thinking, living, and loving. Represented by Mindy Solomon, Miami, FL. Presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
Idea Furnace: Building Bridges and Breaking the Rules / 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm / Room 326
Artists Jason Forck, Ashley McFarland, Juliet Pusateri, and Will Schlough will discuss the creative potential of collaboration and exchange achieved through the Idea Furnace – a six-month residency at the Pittsburgh Glass Center that pairs glass and non-glass artists together for explorations in material, content, and process. Highlights will include the synergy of working collaboratively, the power of the familiar vs. the unknown, the surprises and challenges of working in glass, and the effects of the project on their work moving forward. Moderated by Heather McElwee, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Presented by the Pittsburgh Glass Center in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit Idea Furnace.
Transition From Wood to Glass / 1 pm – 2 pm / Room 327
Borrowing from and applying his 40 years as an accomplished wood artist, Harry Pollitt will translate his celebrated aesthetic into kiln cast crystal that successfully achieves the same flowing, sensuous curves and negative space that make his wood sculptures so compelling. Pollitt will discuss his “cross-over moment,” his exploration and remarkable developments in glass, and the dialogue between these two distinct mediums. Represented by Thomas R. Riley Galleries, Cleveland, OH.
Across the Table: Craft Practice Beyond the Object / 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm / Room 324
For 25,000 years, ceramic objects have shaped culture. Whether used to safely store and efficiently serve food, transform experience through ceremony and ritual, or in the context of contemporary, socially engaged practices, ceramics and craft objects have been touchstones for human purpose and connection. Michael J. Strand, Associate Professor and Head of Visual Arts at North Dakota State University, will demonstrate the potential of objects in the 21st century to be effective catalysts for community cohesion and social change.
Presented by National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA).
In Consideration of Beyond Boundaries: Wood Art for the 21st Century / 2 pm – 3 pm / Room 326
The aesthetic landscape of the 21st century reflects an interdisciplinary shift in boundaries – be it social, material, narrative, or technical. Contemporary wood artists are embracing this exciting expansion and blurring supposedly distinct categories with great success both individually and collectively. Artists John Beaver, David Ellsworth, and Gord Peteran in conversation with Emily Zilber, Ronald C. and Anita L. Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will discuss the historical context of their work, the power of making without limitations, and the boundless new directions for the field.
Artists represented in order of listing: Thomas R. Riley Galleries, Cleveland, OH; William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, CA; and Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. Presented by Collectors of Wood Art in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit BEYOND BOUNDARIES: Wood Art for the 21st Century
Anderson Ranch: Mentoring Artistic Excellence / 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm / Room 327
Committed to nurturing the creative spirit, Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a celebrated world leader in the growth and development of the visual arts through innovative workshops, transformative residencies for artists, and critically acclaimed visiting artist projects. Doug Casebeer, Associate Director and Artistic Director for Ceramics and Sculpture at Anderson Ranch, will survey 50 years of exceptional art making and the remarkable legacy of artists who have been pivotal to their success. Presented by Anderson Ranch Arts Center in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit Anderson Ranch: Mentoring Artistic Excellence.
Turning Firewood into Form / 3 pm – 4 pm / Room 324
Scottish wood turner Thomas Hopkins Gibson will explore his ongoing relationship with the woods at Dumfries House Estate. The trees he once climbed as a boy have now become the means through which he explores an ongoing fascination with the material properties of wood. Using timber normally discarded by sawmills, Thomas works with naturally occurring “faults” to create large-scale dynamic turned forms that push at the limits of the material. Represented by Craft Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Comfort Me: A Conversation / 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm / Room 326
Artists/MFA candidates Andrea Alonge, Emily Staugaitis and Jenny Walker in conversation with Mark Newport, Artist in Residence and Head of Fiber Department, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI, will discuss the materials, forms, and processes of their provocative fiber works, their specific exploration of the notion of comfort, and how the unique environment at Cranbrook facilitates their critical and artistic development. Presented by Cranbrook Academy of Art in conjunction with the SOFA CHICAGO special exhibit Comfort Me.
Glass Visions: Cycle of Life and the Renewal of the Knoxville Museum of Art / 3:45 pm – 5 pm; Room 327
Knoxville Museum of Art Executive Director David Butler and artist Richard Jolley will discuss the successful recalibration of the museum’s collecting and programming efforts, with a new focus on the art and artists of the region and the embrace of glass as a fine-art medium. The “game changer” is the recent installation of Jolley’s epic Cycle of Life, the world’s largest figural glass sculpture and a major catalyst for the KMA’s institutional renewal. Their remarks will be followed by a screening of Richard Jolley: Larger Than Life, a 30-minute film produced by Jupiter Entertainment, which documents the six-year gestation of Cycle of Life and its significance for the KMA and the community. Richard Jolley is represented by Litvak Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel. Presented by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass
SOFA CHICAGO is open Friday and Saturday 11 am – 7 pm; and Sunday 12 pm – 6pm. Tickets are available in advance or at the door, and they allow access to all aspects of SOFA CHICAGO. Tickets are $20 for general admission; $30 for three-day pass. Students and seniors (with ID), and groups (10 or more) are $15. For advance ticket sales visit sofaexpo.com
For more information on the SOFA CHICAGO Lecture Series, please visit sofaexpo.com or call 800.563.SOFA (7632).
