CHICAGO, IL.- The Art Fair Company, based in Chicago, again presents two art fairs under one roof at Chicago's historic Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Avenue) Friday, Nov. 4 - Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011. For the second straight year, SOFA CHICAGO 2011, the critically acclaimed International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair, will share the Pier's Festival Hall with The Intuit Show of Folk & Outsider Art. SOFA CHICAGO, now in its 18th year, enjoys the prestigious position of being the largest and longest continually running art fair in Chicago, a mainstay of the city's cultural and social calendar. The Chicago Sun-Times hails SOFA CHICAGO as "amazing," and Bradley Lincoln of Chicago Home + Garden raves, "This is one of my favorite art shows in Chicago - I guarantee you will see some flashy, jaw dropping works of...genius." The SOFA CHICAGO and Intuit Show's joint Opening Night Preview on Thursday, Nov. 3 will be open to the public from 7 - 9 p.m. with ticket purchase.

For the seventh straight year, SOFA CHICAGO 2011 is sponsored in part by Chubb Personal Insurance, one of the world's preeminent insurers of fine homes, art, antiques, jewelry, automobiles, yachts and other prized possessions. SOFA CHICAGO 2011 will again feature more than 60 international art galleries and dealers presenting museum-quality art and design for sale.

"My original vision for the SOFA fairs was to keep pressing to heighten the visibility of art on the cutting edge of the field," says Mark Lyman, founding director of SOFA and president of The Art Fair Company. "SOFA has always complemented the artwork on offer with educational programming that reveals the deeper stories behind it."

To this end, SOFA CHICAGO will again feature special exhibits by renowned museums, universities and arts organizations, as well as an extensive lecture series, all included in the admission price.

At SOFA CHICAGO 2011, Blue Rain Gallery's exhibition will feature work created jointly by acclaimed artists Preston Singletary and Dante Marioni (who individually have very distinct and differing styles). The two share a longstanding history, having been high school friends - and when they collaborate, the blend of their talents produces something truly exceptional.

Highlights of curated special exhibitions at SOFA CHICAGO 2011 include:
*Art Jewelry Forum's Geography, an exhibit of approximately 80 pieces of jewelry from around the world.

*Innovations in Glass and Metal: The Work of Richard Meitner, Jack Wax, and Louis Mueller, three iconic artists exploring abstraction and design through the use of glass, metal, bronze, and steel presented by SOFA.

*Friends of Fiber Art International will present a special exhibit of works from the collection of Karen Johnson Boyd, a Racine, Wis. philanthropist, renowned collector, and recipient of Friends of Fiber Art's first "Extraordinary Friend" Award.