Expo Chicago, acquired by Frieze in 2023, will return to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall this April with around 130 galleries, a 23% reduction from the 170 exhibitors in recent editions. The fair frames this as a more focused, intentionally scaled format designed to deepen engagement, and it will be the first edition under new director Kate Sierzputowski, who succeeded longtime leader Tony Karman. The fair features a strong contingent of local Chicago dealers, international galleries from South Korea, Lagos, Milan, Dublin, and elsewhere, and partnerships with the Obama Presidential Center and the Galleries Association of Korea.
This scaling back matters because it signals a strategic shift toward quality over quantity, aiming to strengthen the fair’s identity as a rigorously curated, artist-centered event amid a competitive art fair landscape. The collaboration with the Obama Presidential Center and curated sections by Essence Harden and Katie A. Pfohl highlight efforts to connect artists with institutional collections and acquisition pathways, reinforcing Expo Chicago’s role as a meaningful platform for artists and collectors in the Midwest and beyond.