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By CGN Staff
As the fall art season in Chicago, and the world, continues to shift and be reshaped in order to accommodate life during a pandemic, we are hearing about more art fair updates and evolving programming, virtual as well in person. The latest update comes to us from the Chicago-based fair formerly known as SOFA Chicago. This past April it was announced that Intersect Art and Design acquired SOFA Chicago.
The Chicago fair, planned originally to take place in early November on Navy Pier, will now take place in 2020 virtually from November 6–12, 2020 at www.sofaexpo.com with a dedicated VIP Preview Day by invitation only on November 5.
The fair is the evolution of SOFA – Sculpture Objects Functional Art. It is the intersection of art, design, objects, and lifestyle including daily highlights on Glass, Ceramic and Crafts, Design, Contemporary Art, Outsider Art, Fiber, and Public Art / Sculpture. Intersect Chicago will feature institutions from around the globe with dedicated programming and a selection of galleries showcasing work of these disciplines.
Intersect Chicago will feature a special focus for each day of the fair:
Friday, November 6: Glass Arts
Saturday, November 7: Ceramic Arts and Crafts
Sunday, November 8: Design
Monday, November 9: Contemporary Art
Tuesday, November 10: Outsider Art
Wednesday, November 11: Fiber Arts
Thursday, November 12: Public Art / Sculpture
Intersect Art and Design’s CEO Tim von Gal explains, “Following on the success of our first virtual art fair in July, Intersect Aspen, we are looking forward to the launch of Intersect Chicago in November. This is a special occasion, as we are launching the future of SOFA. We’ll preserve the spirit and focus of SOFA, continuing to highlight glass, craft, and sculpture, but will expand to include a larger interdisciplinary program across the fields of art and design.”
Becca Hoffman, Managing Director of Intersect Art and Design says, “With Intersect Chicago, we’re channeling the momentum and positivity of our inaugural July edition of Intersect Aspen into a new chapter of revamping and innovating theonline space, while encouraging connectivity and an out of the box approach. The November platform will be a form of engagement for the community, highlighting dynamic programs, partners, and activations focusing on SOFA’s original tenets but with an absolutely new vision and fresh approach.”
Beginning in September, Intersect Chicago will present SOFA Salons, a series of themed conversations pertaining to art and design, presented online and free to the public. The first will be Art and Mindfulness / The Healing Power of Art and Art Spaces, on Wednesday, September 16, at 7pm Eastern / 6pm Central / 4pm Pacific. Panelists will include January Parkos Arnall, Interim Senior Curator at the MCA Chicago; Monica Garza, the Chartlotte Wagner Director of Education at the ICA Boston; Elizabeth Gerber, Museum Educator at LACMA; and Nora Lawrence, Senior Curator at Storm King Art Center.
To register, visit www.sofaexpo.com/salons. Additional SOFA Salons will be announced for October and will continue throughout the run of the fair in November.
Cultural Partners of Intersect Chicago will be featured on different days of the fair. These include: Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG); Corning Museum of Glass; Design Museum of Chicago; The Fabric Workshop and Museum; Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers; GnarWare Workshop; The International Sculpture Center (ISC); Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art; John Michael Kohler Arts Center; The Mint Museum; Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY; National Museum of Women in the Arts; Ox-Bow; Pilchuck Glass School; Pittsburgh Glass Center; The River North Design District; Roger Brown Study Collection; SAQA: Studio Art Quilt Associates; and Chicago Public Schools.
Special Programming will include an exhibition organized by critic and curator Paul Laster (Time Out New York, Galerie, Art & Object, Sculpture, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Cultured, and ArtAsiaPacific) and independent curator and art advisor Renée Riccardo (ARENA) presenting contemporary artists working with glass in innovative ways.
Laura Steward, Curator of Public Art at the University of Chicago, will present a series of conversations on Thursday, November 12, between Chicago-based artists and curators who support them.
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![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1792084737/qrikvx76nvvt5agq24rq.jpg\")
By CGN STAFF
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will reopen its Skokie location on November 11, 2026, following a renovation that expands visitor spaces, updates its core Holocaust exhibition and adds a new reflection gallery. The reopening is timed to coincide with Veterans Day. Active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission that day.
The project includes a redesigned Lillian & Larry Goodman Auditorium and Gallery, an enlarged lobby in the Shapiro Family Foundation Welcome Center, and a refreshed Resilience Hall with an expanded stage for presentations and public programs.
Updates to the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition include additional material on the roots of antisemitism, the story of Chicago resident Leo Edelman, and the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis. A new reflection gallery, accessible from the exhibition, offers visitors a quiet space during and after their visit.
“Every visitor’s experience now begins differently and runs deeper,” said Kelley Szany, the Museum’s senior vice president of education and exhibitions. “The new welcome center sets the tone from the moment people arrive, the enhanced core Holocaust exhibition brings the history and the voices of survivors into sharper focus, and our new auditorium gives us a place to gather, listen, and talk about what it means for our communities today.”
Existing attractions, including the virtual reality theater, the interactive Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater, the Take A Stand Center and the Voices of Genocide Exhibition, will remain part of the Museum’s offerings.
Following the reopening, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare will open November 15 in the special exhibition gallery. Created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, the exhibition examines the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s. It will remain on view through March 2027.
The Museum’s satellite location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Experience360, will remain open through December 31, 2026. The downtown space opened during the Skokie renovation to provide continued access to the Museum’s immersive exhibitions.
For information and ticket reservations, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.
Image: Museum exterior. Photo by David Seide/Definedspace.com
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By GINNY VAN ALYEA
SOFA Chicago, the longtime fair devoted to sculpture, objects, functional art and collectible design, will return to the city October 28–31, 2027, as part of Chicago Art Fair at THE MART, which opened its inaugural edition last night.
Founded in Chicago in 1994, SOFA became a popular fixture on the city’s fall arts calendar. For much of its history, collectors and visitors gathered at Navy Pier to discover works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal and fiber, alongside sculpture and design. Its focus on materials and craftsmanship gave the fair a distinct identity and cultivated a devoted audience.
The announcement comes as the inaugural Chicago Art Fair gets underway at THE MART. The new fair opened with a preview on October 7 and continues through October 10, presenting modern and contemporary art. Tim von Gal, CEO and producer of SOFA Chicago and CEO of Intersect Art and Design, was in Chicago this week for the occasion.
Organizers describe the 2027 collaboration as two distinct but complementary presentations under one roof, with SOFA’s focus on three-dimensional art and design alongside Chicago Art Fair’s broader offerings.
“Chicago has always been an extraordinary home for SOFA and a city with a deep appreciation for art, craft, architecture and design,” said von Gal in the announcement. “Joining the Chicago Art Fair at THE MART gives us the opportunity to build upon that legacy while creating an exciting new experience for collectors and exhibitors alike.”
Eric Smith, owner of Chicago Art Fair and CEO of Redwood Art Group, said the addition would broaden the fair’s scope while preserving SOFA’s identity.
“SOFA has a remarkable legacy and a distinct identity, and its return adds an important new dimension to the fair while reinforcing Chicago’s position as a destination for collectors, galleries and art lovers from around the world,” Smith said.
For those who remember SOFA as an annual opportunity to encounter ambitious work in craft and design, the return will be welcome news. The participating galleries and programming, still to be announced, will provide a fuller picture of how that legacy will take shape in its new setting.
SOFA Chicago is produced by Intersect Art and Design, which also organizes annual art and design fairs in Aspen and Palm Springs.
Additional details about exhibitors, partnerships and tickets are expected in the coming months.
Visit chicagoartfair.com for updates.
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The artist Richard Hunt
By CGN Staff
Pigment International has dedicated Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt (1935–2023), recognizing his contributions to American art and his lifelong connection to the city.
As part of the month’s programming, the organization will host Pigmented: Chicago to the World — A Black Fine Art Convening on October 23 at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts. Partners include the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation, Adler University, CAI Designs, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and Diasporal Rhythms.
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Hunt developed an internationally recognized practice while continuing to live and work in his hometown. His welded metal sculptures brought together abstract forms, references to the natural world and an enduring interest in freedom and social justice.
Hunt identified attending Emmett Till’s funeral in 1955 as a turning point in his artistic life. Till had lived just two blocks from Hunt’s home. Decades later, Hunt’s public commissions would honor figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens and Ida B. Wells, while also addressing the Middle Passage and the Great Migration.
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Hunt to the National Council on the Arts, where he became its first African American member. In 1971, at age 35, he became the first African American sculptor to receive a retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His career encompassed more than 150 solo exhibitions and more than 160 public art installations.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791479104/lltcodkx39gd8sbhtus1.png\")
Richard Hunt with artist Chris Devins, who recently completed a mural honoring the sculptor in Hyde Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Devins.
Recent projects in Chicago offer new ways to encounter Hunt’s work and history. This fall, the Logan Center opened the Hunt, a café honoring the artist. Created and designed by Little Black Pearl founder and executive director Monica Haslip, the space incorporates two Hunt sculptures, African art, archival materials and photographs by Sandro Miller.
In Hyde Park, artist Chris Devins and historian Michelle Duster have brought a mural of Hunt to 1515–19 E. 54th Street. The portrait is based on photographs Devins took in Hunt’s studio before the sculptor’s death.
“Richard Hunt was a giant in the arts world and people need to see what he looked like and be inspired by his legacy,” Devins said.
Pigment International’s dedication also reflects its own relationship with Hunt. The organization featured him in its magazine in 2020, and he welcomed its Black Fine Art Month programming into his studio in October 2021.
#
Two events take place this month:
Pigment International at SPECTRUM Chicago Art Fair
October 7–10, 2026.
Chicago Merchandise Mart, seventh floor, booth #3091.
Wednesday, October 7, 5–8 pm, with a champagne toast in the booth and an artist meet-and-greet.
Thursday, October 8, 6-8pm with Diasporal Rhythms
Featured artists: Jesse Howard, Howard Simmons, Edo, Candace Hunter, Sura DuPart and Max Sansing.
Additional events are taking place during the fair
Chicago to the World: A Black Fine Art Month Convening
Presented by Pigment International as part of Black Fine Art Month, which the organization has dedicated this year to Richard Hunt.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 11:30 am–5 pm.
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.
Details at pigmentintl.com