The WorkShop: Art Endeavors...From Last Week...

Last Thursday (Nov. 4th) I was invited to the opening gala for the SOFA, which stands for Sculptural Object and Functional Art, show at Navy Pier! SOFA is an annual art show displaying absolutely gorgeous and absolutely expensive pieces of art ranging from glass to ceramics to wood sculpture. I went last year with my school's art club and as soon as I found out I was doing the ACM Chicago semester this year, I promised myself that I would go again and experience the beauty. This year was different though because we went the night before it opened to the general public; the night when the rich and "important" come out and view the artwork. I was just as pleased looking at the passing outfits of gala go-ers as I was looking at the art. Everything was so fancy with elegant cheeses and bruschetta and drinks galore. My favorite pieces were definitely in the glass category. The pure size of some of the sculptures was unbelievable! They were either so large or so small, unfathomable to me how a glass artist would do such a thing. Also, the colors looked like something you could only see from Hubble telescope photos. However, the jewelry was breathtaking as well. The pearls and jewels were the size of grapes and the metalwork was flawless. There was a section of "outsider art" as well that dealt more in the realm of folk art and was done by unconventional artists. Very interesting to look at and one could tell exactly where the more classic SOFA show ended and the "outsider art" began. One of the coolest things that night was walking by an artist booth and realizing I had just packaged that artist's pieces from Lillstreet's recent art show and readied them for sending back to her. I am still regretting not going up to her and introducing myself. However, I did see almost all of my colleagues from Lillstreet and we schmoozed about art for a couple minutes, so that made up for things. I was so lucky that I was able to make it that night; I was planning on going anyways, but my friend offered me a ticket to opening night and I could not pass that up.

Here are some pictures I quickly snapped inside the show, sadly I was not sneaky enough to take any up close photos of the outrageous outfits of the night:

Tim Tate's glass vanity terrarium (Sara and I)

The art fun did not stop there! On Friday some friends and I went to an art opening for Bill Frederick at Zg Gallery in River North (which also happens to be a gallery that supports my art professor Martina Nehrling). Frederick's work is all water color although, at first glance, it looks just like a black and white photograph. His detail work is meticulous and the shading is perfect. Martina knows Frederick fairly well so she coaxed him into coming over and talking to our little group of students. He is really down to Earth and explained his usage of black and white and gray tones in his work instead of color and his use of varying perspectives. It was First Friday too so many of the galleries around the neighborhood had openings. Zg is also quite close to another gallery which is right across the hall. We all went to view the artwork there as well. I fell in love with a photographer named Lauren Simonutti who does simple contact prints (placing the negative directly on the photo paper and shining light onto it) and toning them beautifully. Another very successful and beautiful art filled night!

Bill Frederick's Gallery Postcard

One of Lauren Simonutti's prints

Sunday I went home to help out with my grandmother's weavers guild show at the Botanical Gardens in Glencoe-the Fine Art of Fiber Show. It happens every year during the first weekend in November and I always used to help with the pack up after the show finished, but since I've been at school for the past 2 years I have not been able to make it in for the show so this was a special treat.She does gorgeous women's clothing and accessories all hand woven with the most fabulous color combinations. The woman has a gift with color and I'd like to think I inherited just a touch of it. Everyone's work was wonderful this year and it was so nice to see all the ladies displaying their work. They liked seeing me back there too...I'm convinced its because I can carry their heavy bags of product back to their cars haha. The space was great as always and the show went really well. My grandma sold more of her vests, capes, jackets, scarves, and necklaces than last year!