Your Guide To Expo, Chicago's Ultimate Art Weekend
By Carrie McGath in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 22, 2016 7:06PM
Usher in the colors of autumn this weekend with art events throughout the city.
The fifth annual Expo Chicago: Begin your visual voyage at Navy Pier, where 145 galleries representing 22 countries from all around the world showcase the work of artists working in an array of mediums. Countless artists will be represented throughout the fair, giving casual viewers, enthusiasts, and collectors a unique opportunity to be immersed in contemporary art and ideas.
Mark your calendar for /Dialogues, a series of panel discussions and discourse with artists and art professionals presented with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Highlights include Kerry James Marshall in conversation with Sarah Thornton at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, presented in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). This talk works in tandem with the closing of the Kerry James Marshall exhibition, Mastry, on view through Sept. 25 at the MCA.
Learn about art in the marketplace at this kickoff panel on Friday at 11:30 a.m.: "The New Global Economy: Contemporary Art from Africa and Its Diaspora in the Marketplace", and check out Expo Video and IN/SITU, which features site-specific installations and performances in and around Navy Pier throughout the weekend.
Explore Museums and Art Centers: Head west of the Pier to Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art to see two provocative exhibitions on view in their galleries. Post Black Folk Art in America 1930-1980-2016 and Private Eyes: Selected Artwork from the Kinsey Institute Collection both contain artwork by self-taught artists that is rarely on public display. The Ed Paschke Art Center’s exhibition, Beta, features bright and textured acrylic works on canvas by Chicago-based hip-hop artist, Wasalu Jaco (aka: Lupe Fiasco). The Smart Museum at the University of Chicago’s exhibition, There Was a Whole Collection Made: Photography from Lester and Betty Guttman highlights the couple’s ample drive and studied passion for collecting fine art photography. Head over to River North’s Driehaus Museum for With a Wink and a Nod: Cartoonists of the Gilded Age, an exhibition featuring work from the cutting-edge magazine, Puck and other vintage magazines with artwork by Louis Dalrymple, Franklin Howarth, Frederick Opper, William Rogers, and more.
Explore Public Art: In addition to Expo’s IN/SITU, Expo is also featuring public artwork throughout the city. Override: A Billboard Project is peppered throughout the city on 28 digital billboards that went up on display on Aug. 29 and will remain on display through Sept. 25. Chicago artist, Tony Tasset’s Artists Monument in Grant Park is worth a visit as it is a massive, color-blocked wall with the names of artists etched into the surface. Visit the musical sculpture, Untitled Sounding Sculpture by Harry Bertoia located outside the Aon Center Plaza at 200 E. Randolph St. The copper-beryllium, brass and granite sculpture looks like reeds and cat-tails and creates deep sounds from the breeze or by touch, making this a hidden public art gem.
Tickets for a available now and can be purchased at Navy Pier or by visiting their website. Student, group and senior rates are available. Expo Chicago goes from Friday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Sept. 25.