Art from around the globe, along with the who’s who of the art world, will descend on Chicago this week for the Midwest’s largest art fair, EXPO Chicago.
The sprawling display of nearly 200 galleries from 36 countries arrives at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall at a moment when both the arts world and efforts to diversify it are under close scrutiny by the federal government. Whether some gallerists and curators may choose not to travel to the United States in protest of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and rollback of diversity initiatives remains to be seen.
Tony Karman, EXPO’s president and director, said the fair’s lineup will not falter in its celebration of identities from around the globe. In fact, EXPO is only leaning in further to lifting up artists of color and an international slate of gallerists, curators and themes.
“I’m just excited to welcome the world again,” Karman said. “We’ve got a diverse lineup of galleries from South Africa to Asia to a new collaboration with the Galleries Association of Korea.” That collaboration will bring 20 South Korean galleries to the floor and is a direct result of the fair’s acquisition two years ago by the global megabrand Frieze.
Karman said the Frieze effect is present in this year’s lineup, with both the Korean collaboration and an entirely new floor section called CONTRAST, meant to highlight artists whose work explores intersections of culture and identity.
“There’s a long history of Korean galleries participating in a Chicago fair,” Karman said. “So, it’s not as if the Korean galleries had never been to Chicago. It’s just that they get to build again on this long history and tradition.”
EXPO Chicago and its jam-packed lineup runs April 24-27 inside Navy Pier’s Festival Hall. The sheer size of the fair can seem daunting, but we’ve got you covered with these programming highlights, plus some tips on how to broker a deal if you’re looking to grow — or start — your own art collection.
What not to miss at EXPO Chicago 2025
EXPO is a sprawling festival. A good way to navigate it is to understand the fair’s curated sections — from EXPOSURE, where newer galleries are on view, to the /Dialogues talk stage, where you can catch conversations among leading curators and artists.
Across the fair, several Chicago galleries will bring their A game. Rhona Hoffman, the doyenne of Chicago’s gallery world who will soon give up her West Town space, brings with her a showing of politically engaged artists. The presentation centers around themes of the environment, identity, war and inequity. The booth features work by Chicago’s own Amanda Williams, plus noted civil rights photographer Gordon Parks.
Gallery owner and EXPO veteran Monique Meloche is bringing photographs by Chicagoan Rashid Johnson and works by noted local Jamaican artist Ebony G. Patterson to the floor. The gallery Corbett vs. Dempsey will present historical prints by the artist Diane Simpson, featuring various techniques developed in the 1970s and ’80s, most of which have never before been exhibited.
What’s exciting and new?
CONTRAST brings together eight contemporary galleries, including Chicago’s Gray, which will present “So Be It! Asé! Photographic Echoes of FESTAC ’77.” The work brings together photographs by members of Chicago’s Black Arts Movement: Roy Lewis, Bob Crawford and K. Kofi Moyo. The presentation is curated by Chicago-based art historian Romi Crawford and looks back at the U.S. delegation to the 1977 World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in Lagos, Nigeria.
Other work in CONTRAST includes a solo presentation of new paintings by the Chicago-based Kenyan artist Wangari Mathenge, presented by Pippy Houldsworth Gallery.
“This special section seeks to explore contrasts in culture, identity, and experience, with each artist contributing their unique voice to the dialogue,” said CONTRAST curator Lauren Haynes in a press release. “CONTRAST is designed to spark conversation around the artists and artworks on view.”
Where are the up-and-coming artists and galleries?
The EXPOSURE section, which Karman says is always a “hot section for the fair,” is being curated for the second year by Rosario Güiraldes of Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center. This year, the selections reflect the Buenos Aires-born curator’s two homes: Latin America and the Midwest. There’s a mix of work from Argentina, Brazil and emerging Chicago galleries.
There’s no set theme across EXPOSURE, but inevitably, in a section of emerging artists, subjects from modern life appear. That means works that grapple with climate change, migration and identity are all present in this year’s selections.
Where else will Chicago strut its stuff?
Not only will Chicago’s outsider art museum reopen for EXPO weekend, but self-taught artists are also having a moment within the footprint of the fair. The Gallery of Everything will recreate Jean Dubuffet’s 1947 “Le Foyer de l’Art Brut,” which influenced the creation of outsider art as a movement.
On April 27, Alison Amick, the chief curator of the Intuit Art Museum, will join an afternoon conversation on the /Dialogues stage about the importance of immigration and migration in the world of self-taught art. The discussion will explore the contributions of self-taught immigrant artists on the culture of Chicago.
A strong showing from Korean galleries this year.
In a new partnership, the Galleries Association of Korea (GaoK) will bring a selection of 20 Korean galleries to the EXPO floor this year. Karman said this kind of global footprint is a direct result of the fair’s acquisition by Frieze.
“It’s that wonderful opportunity that arises with the acquisition and having Frieze as the parent company, and them having a great relationship in Korea,” Karman said.
Pat Lee, the director of Frieze Seoul, will lead a conversation about contemporary Korean art on the fair’s talk stage on Saturday afternoon.
Making a plan before the fair
EXPO Art Week kicks off Monday, with programming happening around town throughout the week.
The first chance for the public to take a look inside Festival Hall comes 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, but that requires a special ticket. Then, the fair opens for general admission ticket holders at 11 a.m. Friday. The fair will be open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 27.
How much does it cost to attend EXPO Chicago 2025?
Opening night tickets for Thursday cost $165 per person. A single-day ticket to the fair costs $40 and a weekend pass for three-day admission is $68. There are also discounted tickets for students and seniors. Children 12 years and younger get in free.
How do I get to EXPO Chicago?
If you plan to drive to the fair, know that there are a limited number of parking spots in Navy Pier’s East and West garages, which are first-come, first-served. A price breakdown for those spots can be found here. If you opt instead to grab an Uber or Lyft to EXPO, tell your driver you’re looking for “Entrance 2.”
There are also five CTA bus routes that will bring you to Navy Pier: the 29, 65, 66, 124 and 2. (Note that the No. 2 bus is only available during weekday mornings and evenings.) More information on getting to the Pier.
Navigating the fair and buying smart
This year’s EXPO includes 170 galleries. Simply put: You’re not going to make it through every single booth. Instead of trying to see it all, local gallerist Monique Meloche recommends a hybrid approach of preparedness and whimsy: Check out the website ahead of time so you know what to expect, but then, “let your eyes roam.”
“If something catches your eye, wander in that direction. Don’t be so strict about it,” Meloche said.
What advice do insiders have about buying art?
The fair is transactional — gallerists are there to sell work.
Meloche says you should not be afraid to ask about prices. “No one has their prices out on the walls, but everybody is there to sell art,” she said.
In general, if you see a piece you like and are interested in, the best approach is to strike up a conversation with the dealers. Ask to hear a little more about the artist or about the materials used in the work. “Everybody’s willing to have that conversation with you,” Meloche said.
If you’re just beginning your collection, Karman recommends focusing on the EXPOSURE section.
“Usually these are at lower price points,” Karman said. “Sometimes these artists have never been shown in an art fair before, which adds a great opportunity for both collectors and art enthusiasts and the curators that we’re bringing in to really find new works. And that’s an energy that is, I think, an important addition to what an art fair offers you as a collector or a beginning collector.”