SOFA Chicago 2019

SOFA CHICAGO 2019

SOFA Chicago, the premier gallery-presented art fair dedicated to three-dimensional art and design, presented a unique opportunity for Inspired Interiors founder Emily Mackie.

Over her career, Mackie has helped coordinate and contribute her work to several exhibitions focused on women’s empowerment. So, when approached by SOFA organizers to create an exhibit pairing art with design, Mackie seized the chance to showcase works by female artists working in a variety of media (from traditional to graffiti, from textiles to ceramics) in this high-profile setting.

Honoring the 100-year anniversary of women’s right to vote, “Still Counting” brought together personal, powerful works provoked by the number of years it has taken to receive equal rights in a list of categories essential to living in true gender equity (think everything from Supreme Court appointments and Presidential nominations to the right to economic identity). Each art piece was showcased in a vignette designed by Inspired Interiors, demonstrating the firm’s singular vision. The thought-provoking pieces from the “Still Counting” exhibition were auctioned off via an online art auction site, with 50 percent of proceeds benefiting a women’s rights organization.

Three panels of an iconic Maya Romanoff wall covering overlaid with gold mesh netting set the momentous-meets-glam tone for the exhibition, while a live onsite painting blurred the lines between artist and attendee, illustrating how we’re all connected in this ongoing quest for equality.