Willowbrook students visit local freeblown glass studio and art fair

Top left: Willowbrook junior Zixi Cai tries her hand at freeblown glass during a field trip to a local art studio on Nov. 3. Top right: Willowbrook students (from left) Esther Lee, Jenna Krenzel and Sydney Wilson watch a demonstration by freeblown glass artist and retired Willowbrook Art Department Chair Robert Lee Fritz during a visit to Fritz's studio on Nov. 3. Bottom left: Fritz speaks with Willowbrook students and gives them a tour of his studio on Nov. 3. Bottom right: Willowbrook students attend the Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design (SOFA) Fair on Nov. 3 in Chicago. They're pictured with Fritz (back row, fourth from left) and Willowbrook Art Department Chair John Epple (back row, fifth from left).

On Nov. 3, 19 Willowbrook students visited a local art studio and an expo in Chicago with Art Department Chair John Epple.

The group toured the Lombard studio of Robert Lee Fritz, who is a freeblown glass artist and a retired Willowbrook Art Department Chair. Fritz discussed the process of freeblown glass and provided a demonstration. For more information about Fritz, go to http://www.freeblownglass.com.

The students also attended the Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design (SOFA) Fair in Chicago with Fritz, which took place at Navy Pier. According to the event’s website, “(SOFA CHICAGO) is the premier gallery-presented art fair dedicated to three-dimensional art and design. With a strong educational emphasis, SOFA CHICAGO includes an acclaimed lecture series and special exhibits exploring the artworks on view and surveying new trends in the art world. SOFA has evolved into a dynamic international marketplace and community – a confluence of perspectives where art, design and people intersect.”

During the event, students viewed various artwork; observed glass and wood art demonstrations; and spoke directly with artists, gallery owners and representatives from art and design schools throughout the U.S. For more information about the fair, go to http://www.sofaexpo.com.