This week, over 40 Canadians will travel to SOFA Chicago to take part in one of the largest contemporary fine craft fairs in North America. Attracting over 35,000 collectors, museum groups, curators, and art patrons from around the globe, the Canadian contingent will be exposed to museum-quality works of art from over 70 galleries.

For the past two years, the CCF/FCMA has participated in SOFA Chicago by hosting a booth in the Partner Pavilion. We will be back again for 2015, but we won’t be alone. Alongside our booth in the partner pavilion will be Citizens of Craft and Sheridan College, and in the gallery section, three Canadian galleries will display the best in Canadian craft (including Option Art, Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h, and Creative Saskatchewan).

The CCF/FCMA is also proud to have organized a national panel presentation as part of the official SOFA Lecture Series. Titled ‘Borders be Damned: We Are All Citizens of Craft’, the panel places a spotlight on the meaningful content of the Citizens of Craft movement, and the individual experiences of four Canadian citizens whose work is featured at this year’s event. Moderated by British Columbian glass artist and CCF/FCMA Board Member Lou Lynn, the panel features presentations by glass artist Susan Rankin from Ontario, ceramic artists Rod and Denyse Simair, jewellery artist Pamela Ritchie, and Craft Ontario’s curator, Janna Heimstra.

The Canadian contingent on site at the event will include these speakers, as well as other contemporary craft artists, students, curators, arts administrators, and gallery owners. We are excited to share in this celebration of Canadian work at the international level.