Asheville's leading contemporary fine art gallery is participating at SOFA Expo Chicago, the nation's longest running art fair, for the fifth consecutive year.

They will be exhibiting glass sculpture by internationally recognized artists as well as work by emerging/underappreciated artists. This unique group of artists create thoughtful and inspiring art work that compels the viewer to contemplate their individual thought processes as well as to marvel at the dedication it takes to create their work.

The artist list is very impressive when reviewing their resumes and understanding what has motivated them over the years and what it takes to create their work. Bender Gallery wishes to present museum quality work that is also suitable for placement in a residential setting. Bender Gallery will be exhibiting the newest iteration of “Species Novae” by Philip Baldwin & Monica Guggisberg. These sculptures will be shown for the first time in the US at Navy Pier along with one of their largest “frame” assemblages. The frame sculpture was created as part of a triptych honoring Venini’s Veronese Vase. The triptych was premiered at Venice’s inaugural Glass Week where the artists received an award for their contributions to the field of glass.. Also being offered are two of Eric Hilton’s newest engraved crystal sculptures delving into the mysteries of the universe. Hilton creates constructs of our world and its relationship to the universe that makes one ponder about interconnectedness of all people. Martie Negri will be showing her newest kiln formed glass panels created from thousands of pieces of glass in the millefiori technique. Martie is inspired by the flora and colors in her lush garden and creates imagery which is beautiful and calming. The smooth transition of the colors within the panels compels one to imagine the object of her desire she has chosen to embody within her abstract “paintings” using glass. Emerging star Karsten Oaks will be exhibiting his most dynamically challenging sculptures to date both in scale and complexity. Oaks is creating exciting original work that is getting notice from the upper echelons of the glass world. Pioneer glass artist Mark Peiser is allowing Bender Gallery to offer from his archives some of his favorite work which has been held back in his studio for years. Peiser’s imagination and creative genius shows through in every one of his sculptures. Veteran glass artist Mary Van Cline has created a brand new body of work for Bender Gallery which will be exhibited for the first time at SOFA Expo Chicago this year. The work consists of multiple panels utilizing the photographic imagery that she is world famous for. Van Cline has developed a group of installations that can be any size from a small number of panels to enough to fill a wall. The panels are also available for commissions. Australian artist Emma Varga will be available to discuss some of her newest floral and undersea sculptures addressing the “Wild and Precious” fragile existence of nature and her thoughts that we should take better care of our planet before it is too late.