"SHOW US YOUR MODERNISM" at IIT’s Crown Hall October 28
On-the-spot appraisals of Modern objects Saturday, October 28 from 10 a.m. to Noon
If you think you possess a Modern masterpiece or want to learn more about how to identify one, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s world-famous S.R Crown Hall on the Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) campus is the place to be on Saturday, October 28. The Mies van der Rohe Society at IIT welcomes David Rago and John Sollo for a special program, “Show Us Your Modernism,” providing information and on-the-spot appraisals of suspected Modern masterpieces.
This exciting program benefits the Mies van der Rohe Society’s commitment to preserving the legendary architect’s legacy and restoring his buildings on the IIT campus, a recent addition to the National Register of Historic Places.
David Rago and John Sollo are considered among the country’s foremost experts in 20th century objects. In addition to running a successful auction house, they are the authors of Collecting Modern: A Guide to Mid-Century Furniture and Ceramics and have appeared on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow. They will discuss how Sollo Rago Modern Auctions came to be, as well as the changes they've seen in the Modern market—and the Modern buyer—in taste and value. A question and answer session will be followed by an hour of appraisals, so guests are invited to bring in photos of Modern furniture, and fine and decorative arts for formal identification and valuation.
David Rago founded Rago Arts and Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J., plus two magazines on 20th century decorative arts and furnishings. His specialty is American art pottery and his expertise extends to Modern ceramics and glass, art glass (including Tiffany), arts and crafts lighting, decorative and fine arts, and furnishings. He lectures nationally and is the author of many articles and books in his field.
John Sollo began his career as a dealer in Americana. Broadening this expertise in the 1980s and 1990s, he is now, as described by Antiques and the Arts Weekly, "a premier authority in 20th century modern." He is also an author of several books on Modern design and a principal auctioneer at the Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Their depth of experience gives them the ability to help understand rarity and historical values, identify unsigned pieces, and track trends in the market.
The Mies van der Rohe Society welcomes Rago and Sollo at this exciting event in IIT’s own Modern masterpiece, Crown Hall, 3360 South State Street, Chicago. Admission is $15 ($10 for Mies Society members). For information and reservations, visit www.mies.iit.edu, email miesmembership@iit.edu or call 312.567.5042
Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than 6,700 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. IIT's interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life of professional achievement, service to society, and individual fulfillment.