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By GINNY VAN ALYEA
\r\n\r\nIf you attended EXPO CHICAGO or the opening of the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial last week you knew that things were busy. EXPO and the City of Chicago both announced just how busy things were – 8,500 people on opening night for EXPO's Vernissage, and 40,000 people over the courst of the fair – and the news is positive on all fronts. Early sales wrap-ups from participating galleries have been healthy and encouraging, and the overall attendance numbers set records.
\r\n\r\n","body":"By GINNY VAN ALYEA
\r\n\r\nIf you attended EXPO CHICAGO or the opening of the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial last week you knew that things were busy. EXPO and the City of Chicago both announced just how busy things were – 8,500 people on opening night for EXPO's Vernissage, and 40,000 people over the course of the fair – and the news is positive on all fronts. Early sales wrap-ups from participating galleries have been healthy and encouraging, and the overall attendance numbers set records.
\r\n\r\n“This is the first year that Lévy Gorvy participated in EXPO CHICAGO and we were thrilled by the reception that we received from collectors, curators and a very enthusiastic public. Chicago has a personal significance for me, and a phenomenal history as a pioneering city for art, architecture and collecting. We were very pleased to see old friends and to enjoy the revitalized energy of this fair. In particular, we were happy that works by Pat Steir, Carol Rama, Senga Nengudi and Dan Colen found new homes in the Midwest.” — Brett Gorvy | Lévy Gorvy
\r\n\r\n“Participating in EXPO CHICAGO for the first time, we wanted to show a dynamic selection of works. We were delighted with the level of engagement with the art from private collectors, as well as from representatives of major institutions.” — Millicent Wilner | Gagosian
\r\n\r\n“EXPO CHICAGO brings a wonderful audience of patrons and museum groups every September. Over the years, this has allowed us to debut major exhibitions, in addition to an ambitious presentation at the fair. We were thrilled to prominently feature work by artists in both the booth space as well as a part of IN/SITU. We also featured modernist and blue-chip contemporary work for the first time and are beyond happy to place these works in prominent collections.” – Kavi Gupta | Kavi Gupta
\r\n\r\n"The fair had and strong international representation of galleries this year and we continue to do good business with both known and new regional collectors. If a consensus can be achieved, and more top galleries join, EXPO CHICAGO is on it's way to being the dominant date and meeting point for American collectors West of the East Coast." —Christopher D’Amelio | David Zwirner
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The opening of EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, and the simultaneous launch of the second edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial were also very good for the City of Chicago, since the city welcomed more than 100,000 visitors from around the world last week, a figure reported by Mayor Emanuel himself, “Renowned exhibitions at both the Chicago Architecture Biennial and EXPO CHICAGO bolstered Chicago’s reputation as the vanguard of architectural, art and design innovation on the national and international stage and underscores the city’s important convening power,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I want to thank all of the architects, organizers, and residents of Chicago who made this week such a tremendous cultural, educational and economic success for our city.”
\r\n\r\nEXPO presented 135 leading international galleries from 25 countries and 58 cities. Additional special projects in collaboration with both CAB and EXPO CHICAGO took place at Navy Pier with Nick Cave’s Here Hear Chicago performances as well as at the DuSable Museum of African American History’s Roundhouse for the Palais de Tokyo’s first-ever off-site exhibition in the United States, in partnership with the Institut français.
\r\n\r\nThe Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) expanded to include over 140 practitioners from 20 countries at exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center hub, as well as at six neighborhood sites across the city. The estimated attendance at CAB was over 30,000 at opening festivities. The Biennial runs through January 7, 2018, and is free and open to the general public at the Chicago Cultural Center and sites across the city. EXPO returns to Navy Pier September 27-30, 2018.
\r\n\r\nIt's hard to believe EXPO CHICAGO 2017 is already over, but the 2018 dates have been set and we will look forward to once again seeing what's next for the fair as well as the contemporary art world. In the meantime, there is still so much to see around the city that is part of the Architecture Biennial as well as the city's programming for the Year of Public Art. Congratulations to EXPO, the MCA, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the City of Chicago and all who participated during the weekend! – GV
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EXPO CHICAGO's press release regarding opening night is below:
\r\n\r\n(Chicago, IL) EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, opened its sixth edition to more than 8,500 people during Vernissage, the opening night event benefiting the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago. A vast crowd of the city’s business, civic and cultural leaders, as well as artists, collectors and art enthusiasts filled Navy Pier’s Festival Hall Wednesday, September 13 as they were treated to a special preview of more than 135 of the world’s leading galleries from 25 countries and 58 cities.
\r\n\r\nNotable guests included Lena Baume, Allison Berg, Bruce and Barbara Berger, Marlene Breslow and Berle Blitstein, Fred Bidwell, Neil Bluhm, Barbara Bluhm-Kaul and Don Kaul, Pierre Boulais, Gwen Callans and Biff Ruttenberg, Larry and Marilyn Fields, Caryn and King John and Sharon Hoffman, Bill Gautreaux, Helyn Goldenberg and Michael Alper, Rod Lubeznik and Susan Goodman, James Gordon, Paul and Linda Gotskind, Ken Griffin, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Anne Kaplan, Susie Karkomi and Marvin Leavitt, Liz Lefkofsky, Nancy Lerner and David Frej, Jennifer Litowitz , Susan Manilow, Eric McKissack, Gary Metzner, Bob Munch, Lewis and Susan Nerman, Claire and Mike O'Grady, Randall and Shelia Ott, MK Pritzker, Alan and Rebecca Ross, Cathy Ross and Chris Liguori, Lyn Segal, Amir Shariat, Irving Stenn, Kristin Binder Stevens and Stan Stevens, Carl and Marilyn Thoma, Lucas Walton, and Helen Zell, among others.
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\r\nThis unique celebration, co-chaired by MCA Women’s Board members Tonya Geesman, Christine Poggianti and Ellen Wallace, began with a patron reception at 5:00 pm in the VIP Collector’s Lounge, presented by Northern Trust, featuring food by some of Chicago’s top restaurants and food providers including: 20E, Talbott Hotel, BellyQ, Chicago Raw, Marisol, Big Star, Riva Restaurant, Tanta, The Windsor, Yusho, Eli’s Cheesecake and Skinny Pop and Nude Dude Food. Featured beverage sponsors include Lagunitas and Terrazas de los Andes.
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\r\nAt 6 pm President | Director of EXPO CHICAGO Tony Karman took a humbling moment to thank the crowd for their tremendous support for the fair’s sixth year. He then called on MCA Chicago’s Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn to speak to the incredible partnership between the MCA and EXPO CHICAGO.
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\r\n“We have been collaborating with the art fair since the inception of Vernissage and we are especially proud of that partnership this year because we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the MCA Women’s Board. Thank you to the Women’s Board and all of you for making the MCA the preeminent contemporary art museum in Chicago and beyond for 50 years.” She added, “Collaborations like this are so important, and I am proud to debut another collaboration between the MCA, world-renowned artist Kerry James Marshall and fashion brand MZ Wallace. Together, we debut a gorgeous bag based on a painting by Kerry James Marshall in our permanent collection, and all proceeds go directly to our education programs.”
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\r\nNorthern Trust Wealth Management Central Region President Mac MacLellan then took the stage stating, “We are thrilled with the growth of the art fair and the major impact it has had on our entire city. Northern Trust remains the only financial services firm based in the U.S. to sponsor a modern and contemporary art exhibition of this scale and size, showing our firms commitment to the art community.” He continued, “The entire art world will have its eye on Chicago the next couple of days and that is entirely because of the unique collaborations that EXPO CHICAGO has made possible. Collaboration between the City of Chicago, Navy Pier, Corporate Sponsors, arts organizations, artists and galleries—and in this day in age, when we have so much dissonance between so many despaired groups, it’s nice to see collaboration come together and be successful. EXPO CHICAGO is a great example not only for the City of Chicago but for the rest of the country.”
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\r\nMacLellan then introduced Navy Pier’s Chief Program and Civic Engagement officer Michelle T. Boone, who welcomed everyone to Navy Pier stating, “Tony and his vision for EXPO CHICAGO has really paved the way for establishing Navy Pier as one of the most exciting cultural districts in the city of Chicago, and I am just thrilled and honored to continue this tradition and partnership.” She reiterated MacLellan’s sentiments by adding, “This is a tremendous demonstration of the power of partnerships and collaborations between private, public and non-private sectors pulling together to make this the most exciting arts week not only in Chicago but in the nation.”
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\r\nChairman of the Chicago Architecture Biennial Jack Guthman also took a moment to thank Tony Karman for his vision. “I told the Mayor we had to align the Biennial with EXPO CHICAGO because no one promotes Chicago the way Tony Karman promotes Chicago. I wanted the biennial, my little ship, to follow in his wake, and the Mayor got it right away.”
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\r\nThe City of Chicago Commissioner of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Mark Kelly concluded the remarks, perfectly encapsulating the unique collaborations of the night and throughout the city. “This year is the 50th anniversary of the MCA and the sixth year of EXPO CHICAGO. 50 is the most perfect number in numerology, and six is the most harmonious of the single digit numbers so what we have is major good karma here today. Congratulations to the MCA and to EXPO CHICAGO. On behalf of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, I want to thank Tony Karman and his staff for lighting a fuse, making Chicago on fire with the visual arts. This is a civic event that reaches out into the entire city including artists, museums, galleries, cultural organizations and more. We are not only the center of visual arts in the country but in the world. When you take EXPO CHICAGO, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the upcoming Art Design Chicago, the Year of Public Art and all the great work going on in the city, right here and now, this is the epicenter of great visual arts in the world.”
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\r\nA bottle of Ruinart Champagne was popped and all gathered together for a celebratory toast before making their way onto the show floor.
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\r\nGuests mingled throughout the show floor until Nick Cave’s Up Right Chicago commenced on the show floor, featuring a processional of dancers in soundsuits making their way through Festival Hall. The performance, a part of Here Hear Chicago and a unique collaboration between Cave and architect Jeanne Gang, continued in the Aon Ballroom welcoming guests of Vernissage in addition to the general public.
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\r\nEXPO CHICAGO 2018 will return September 27–30. For more information on EXPO CHICAGO and EXPO ART WEEK visit expochicago.com
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'zwirner':385B","thumbnail":null,"editor_pick":false,"category_name":"Announcements"},"related":[{"id":14456,"title":"Illinois Holocaust Museum to Reopen November 11 Following Renovation","excerpt":"","body":"![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1792084737/qrikvx76nvvt5agq24rq.jpg\")
By CGN STAFF
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will reopen its Skokie location on November 11, 2026, following a renovation that expands visitor spaces, updates its core Holocaust exhibition and adds a new reflection gallery. The reopening is timed to coincide with Veterans Day. Active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission that day.
The project includes a redesigned Lillian & Larry Goodman Auditorium and Gallery, an enlarged lobby in the Shapiro Family Foundation Welcome Center, and a refreshed Resilience Hall with an expanded stage for presentations and public programs.
Updates to the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition include additional material on the roots of antisemitism, the story of Chicago resident Leo Edelman, and the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis. A new reflection gallery, accessible from the exhibition, offers visitors a quiet space during and after their visit.
“Every visitor’s experience now begins differently and runs deeper,” said Kelley Szany, the Museum’s senior vice president of education and exhibitions. “The new welcome center sets the tone from the moment people arrive, the enhanced core Holocaust exhibition brings the history and the voices of survivors into sharper focus, and our new auditorium gives us a place to gather, listen, and talk about what it means for our communities today.”
Existing attractions, including the virtual reality theater, the interactive Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater, the Take A Stand Center and the Voices of Genocide Exhibition, will remain part of the Museum’s offerings.
Following the reopening, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare will open November 15 in the special exhibition gallery. Created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, the exhibition examines the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s. It will remain on view through March 2027.
The Museum’s satellite location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Experience360, will remain open through December 31, 2026. The downtown space opened during the Skokie renovation to provide continued access to the Museum’s immersive exhibitions.
For information and ticket reservations, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.
Image: Museum exterior. Photo by David Seide/Definedspace.com
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By GINNY VAN ALYEA
SOFA Chicago, the longtime fair devoted to sculpture, objects, functional art and collectible design, will return to the city October 28–31, 2027, as part of Chicago Art Fair at THE MART, which opened its inaugural edition last night.
Founded in Chicago in 1994, SOFA became a popular fixture on the city’s fall arts calendar. For much of its history, collectors and visitors gathered at Navy Pier to discover works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal and fiber, alongside sculpture and design. Its focus on materials and craftsmanship gave the fair a distinct identity and cultivated a devoted audience.
The announcement comes as the inaugural Chicago Art Fair gets underway at THE MART. The new fair opened with a preview on October 7 and continues through October 10, presenting modern and contemporary art. Tim von Gal, CEO and producer of SOFA Chicago and CEO of Intersect Art and Design, was in Chicago this week for the occasion.
Organizers describe the 2027 collaboration as two distinct but complementary presentations under one roof, with SOFA’s focus on three-dimensional art and design alongside Chicago Art Fair’s broader offerings.
“Chicago has always been an extraordinary home for SOFA and a city with a deep appreciation for art, craft, architecture and design,” said von Gal in the announcement. “Joining the Chicago Art Fair at THE MART gives us the opportunity to build upon that legacy while creating an exciting new experience for collectors and exhibitors alike.”
Eric Smith, owner of Chicago Art Fair and CEO of Redwood Art Group, said the addition would broaden the fair’s scope while preserving SOFA’s identity.
“SOFA has a remarkable legacy and a distinct identity, and its return adds an important new dimension to the fair while reinforcing Chicago’s position as a destination for collectors, galleries and art lovers from around the world,” Smith said.
For those who remember SOFA as an annual opportunity to encounter ambitious work in craft and design, the return will be welcome news. The participating galleries and programming, still to be announced, will provide a fuller picture of how that legacy will take shape in its new setting.
SOFA Chicago is produced by Intersect Art and Design, which also organizes annual art and design fairs in Aspen and Palm Springs.
Additional details about exhibitors, partnerships and tickets are expected in the coming months.
Visit chicagoartfair.com for updates.
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The artist Richard Hunt
By CGN Staff
Pigment International has dedicated Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt (1935–2023), recognizing his contributions to American art and his lifelong connection to the city.
As part of the month’s programming, the organization will host Pigmented: Chicago to the World — A Black Fine Art Convening on October 23 at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts. Partners include the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation, Adler University, CAI Designs, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and Diasporal Rhythms.
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Hunt developed an internationally recognized practice while continuing to live and work in his hometown. His welded metal sculptures brought together abstract forms, references to the natural world and an enduring interest in freedom and social justice.
Hunt identified attending Emmett Till’s funeral in 1955 as a turning point in his artistic life. Till had lived just two blocks from Hunt’s home. Decades later, Hunt’s public commissions would honor figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens and Ida B. Wells, while also addressing the Middle Passage and the Great Migration.
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Hunt to the National Council on the Arts, where he became its first African American member. In 1971, at age 35, he became the first African American sculptor to receive a retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His career encompassed more than 150 solo exhibitions and more than 160 public art installations.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791479104/lltcodkx39gd8sbhtus1.png\")
Richard Hunt with artist Chris Devins, who recently completed a mural honoring the sculptor in Hyde Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Devins.
Recent projects in Chicago offer new ways to encounter Hunt’s work and history. This fall, the Logan Center opened the Hunt, a café honoring the artist. Created and designed by Little Black Pearl founder and executive director Monica Haslip, the space incorporates two Hunt sculptures, African art, archival materials and photographs by Sandro Miller.
In Hyde Park, artist Chris Devins and historian Michelle Duster have brought a mural of Hunt to 1515–19 E. 54th Street. The portrait is based on photographs Devins took in Hunt’s studio before the sculptor’s death.
“Richard Hunt was a giant in the arts world and people need to see what he looked like and be inspired by his legacy,” Devins said.
Pigment International’s dedication also reflects its own relationship with Hunt. The organization featured him in its magazine in 2020, and he welcomed its Black Fine Art Month programming into his studio in October 2021.
#
Two events take place this month:
Pigment International at SPECTRUM Chicago Art Fair
October 7–10, 2026.
Chicago Merchandise Mart, seventh floor, booth #3091.
Wednesday, October 7, 5–8 pm, with a champagne toast in the booth and an artist meet-and-greet.
Thursday, October 8, 6-8pm with Diasporal Rhythms
Featured artists: Jesse Howard, Howard Simmons, Edo, Candace Hunter, Sura DuPart and Max Sansing.
Additional events are taking place during the fair
Chicago to the World: A Black Fine Art Month Convening
Presented by Pigment International as part of Black Fine Art Month, which the organization has dedicated this year to Richard Hunt.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 11:30 am–5 pm.
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.
Details at pigmentintl.com