Celebrating the joy of creativity
October 4, 2001
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times

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SOFA CHICAGO 2001         More than 1,500 artists from 87 galleries around the world will exhibit pieces made from ceramics, glass, metal, wood and textiles. There'll also be a book sale, lecture series and nine special exhibits.          SOFA Chicago touts wider aisles this year, making it easier for specators to navigate Navy Pier's Festival Hall and leaves more room for the exhibitors. 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 Price: $12 general admission or $20 for a three-day pass Parking: Navy Pier parking starts at $9.50 Public transportation: CTA will get you there without any parking hassle worries. The No. 29 State, No. 56 Milwaukee, No. 65 Grand and No. 66 Chicago Avenue provide service to Navy Pier. Call: (800) 563-7632 for more information, or visit www.sofaexpo.com Note: There are a limited number of tickets ($175 to $300) available for tonight's gala, which benefits the Arts Program of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The reception starts at 6:30 p.m.

        After Sept. 11, Mark Lyman wasn't sure Chicago's installment of the Sculpture Objects & Functional Art show should take place this year. In light of the tragedies at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Lyman--the president and founder of SOFA--wondered whether taking an art exhibit on the road was the wisest choice.
        "I discussed the issue with a number of exhibitors," Lyman says. "Some of them were thinking it might be best to postpone the event. Others were adamant that we not allow terrorists to change our way of life. I wasn't sure the country would be ready to go out and see art three weeks after something like this happened, but I also realized that it wasn't realistic to postpone the show--places like Navy Pier are booked ahead of time and it would've been a nightmare trying to rework everyone's schedules. We would've had to cancel it. So we decided to move forward. An art event is really about the joys in life, and we now more than ever need to celebrate."
        Craft Australia, one of the exhibitors, was concerned about safety issues, but decided it was more important to make a stand than to stay away this year.
        "When all that happened in America, we were on the phone to each other asking whether it would be too dangerous to travel to America," says John Odgers, general manager of Craft Australia. "Then we wondered if the audience would stay away and what the turnout would be like. But SOFA is so important to us and for art that we agreed we could overcome any challenges to get to the show."
        Odgers says they had no problem with shipments or air travel.
        Of the 92 galleries scheduled to show their exhibits, five dropped out, including two from the United States. But Lyman says it wasn't necessarily because of the tragedy.
        "Dropouts happen at any show, and this was no exception," he says. "Some galleries can't meet the deadline or they run into other problems. But everyone has been so supportive. We had some exhibitors say they weren't sure if they'd be able to freight their pieces in time, but they would show up to support us even if they had nothing to display."
        Ordinarily, Lyman says he would be optimistic in predicting this year's turnout. Now, he can only wait and see.
        "If you had asked me on Sept. 10, I would've had a good feeling that we would've had slightly more attendees than last year," he says. "But I honestly can't say. I don't know if people will stay home, or if more people will come out for a diversion from the news."
        Now in its eighth year, SOFA Chicago, which is much bigger than the New York version held this past June, has evolved into an international showcase for collectors, museums, architects and designers--as well as the looky-loos. Sales average $20 million per show, with more than 30,000 art aficionados attending last year's event.
        The pieces range in price from $200 to $200,000 and include archeological and historical non-Western pieces in ceramics, textiles and sculptures from Chicago's Douglas Dawson Gallery, contemporary glass work from Italy's Galleria Caterina Tognon and figurative sculptural ceramics from New York's Ferrin Gallery. Also worth a peek is Australian Virginia Kaiser's "Stiletto II"--a high heeled "shoe" weaved from pine needles and jacaranda.
        "People sometimes get intimidated by what they think art is, but art is all around us," Lyman says. "It's not just the paintings or sculptures we buy. It's also the piece of jewelry we have at home, or the intricate rug in our dining room.
        "When people attend something like SOFA, they see that art isn't just something hanging in a museum. It can also be something you sit on or a piece of furniture. That makes art a little more approachable to people, and ultimately, art is for people to enjoy regardless of whether they buy the piece or see it in an exhibition."

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