CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago is the center of the contemporary art world this week, as the 11th annual Expo Chicago — one of the longest-running art fairs in the country — returns to Navy Pier.
Artistic Director Kate Sierzputowski said thousands of modern art pieces from 170 galleries that span over 30 countries will be on display through the weekend.
“Of course, you can see things; you can view things, but everything is for sale,” she said. “So, if you see anything you like, please buy it; I encourage you. There’s lots of work in every single booth as well as throughout the fair that people can choose to buy if they want.”
The art expo fills Navy Pier's giant festival hall.
“It’s a huge square footage,” Sierzputowski said. “It might take you a couple of days to actually walk through.”
She added that Chicago-based artists are well represented at the exposition.
“There’s so many great art schools here that graduate tons of artists each year,” said Sierzputowski. “There’s also our special exhibition section, which features local museums, institutions and colleges that people can see art from here.”
Expo Chicago will be the largest gathering of curators in the United States, which Sierzputowski said helps to make it the biggest week of the year for the city’s art scene. In 2023, more than 30,000 art enthusiasts, buyers, consultants, gallerists, muckety-mucks, exhibitors and fans showed up for the expo’s many events.
Sierzputowski said a big part of what makes the expo’s programming so engaging is the fact that organizers go “beyond the core fair” as they plan the weekend’s events.
“On-site Dialogues continue to engage arts practices from both within and outside of the city, uniting artists with curators for conversations that explore themes that resonate strongly with our curatorial initiatives and first ever curatorial conference: Curating and the Commons,” she said.
Headlining the so-called “Dialogues” — which organizers describe as an effort to bring together “leading curators, artists designers and arts professionals” for various discussions — is a panel on hip hop and contemporary art in the 21st century, featuring Chance the Rapper, Thelonius Stokes and Asma Naeem as panelists.
Single day general admission tickets are still available for $40, and three-day general admission tickets are available for $70. Tickets can be purchased here.
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