CWA gathered in Chicago for many activities relating to wood art.

The main attraction of the CWA gathering at SOFA Chicago 2002 was the Collectors’ Choice Exhibit 2002. This exhibit showed work by 28 of the best and most innovative artists working in wood today. In keeping with CWA’s vision, a special effort was made to include furniture artists. Members specifically identified three furnituremakers. In addition, Wendell Castle and Sam Maloof accepted special invitations to show their work.

Images of Work in the Collectors' Choice Exhibit
CWA also sponsored three lectures:

• Artists included in the Collectors’ Choice Exhibit showed slides of their current work. They also were available during the weekend to discuss their work.
• Wendell Castle discussed his work and thoughts about the creative process in a slide lecture titled “An Idea in Transition.”

In a continuation of the very successful panel at SOFA New York City in May, Michael Monroe, former curator-in-charge of Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Museum, moderated “The Visual Power of Wood: By Chance or Design Part II.” Panelists in Chicago included Bruce Pepich, executive director and curator of collections, Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI; Dr. Charlotte Brown, director, Gallery of Art and Design, North Carolina State University; and Martha Drexler Lynn, founding curator-in-charge, 20th century decorative arts, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. As in May, the panelists gave frank and informed comments on the slides of unidentified works of wood art compiled by Michael Monroe.


Members of CWA, including collectors, artists and gallery personnel, also had an excellent dinner at Siaggia.

Galleries displaying wood art at SOFA:

del Mano Gallery
Finer Things Gallery
Leo Kaplan Modern Gallery
Mobilia Gallery
Narek Galleries