The Midwest’s largest art fair has a new director. Kate Sierzputowski will take over as head of EXPO Chicago, the fair’s parent company Frieze announced Thursday.
Sierzputowski, a longtime Chicago arts writer and curator, has been with EXPO for five years, most recently as the show’s artistic director. Before joining EXPO, she was the co-director of artist-run space Julius Caesar and an editor for the online art magazine, Colossal. In the new role, she succeeds EXPO founder Tony Karman.
“It’s an honor to build on EXPO CHICAGO’s deep connection to the city that inspires it,” Sierzputowski said in a statement. “Chicago thrives on experimentation and generosity — I’m excited to expand how the fair reflects that creative energy and risk taking, while continuing to position it as a site for bold dialogue and exchange.”
In her new role, Sierzputowski will oversee gallery relations, collector engagement and curatorial initiatives, according to Frieze.
The international megabrand also announced Thursday that next year’s EXPO Chicago will be “a more focused fair with a smaller floorplan, designed to highlight the strongest work and ideas.”
“This refined format reflects EXPO CHICAGO’s evolution emphasizing quality, connection and programming, bringing fresh perspectives to its strategic development,” according to Frieze.
EXPO Chicago has been owned by Frieze since 2023. This year, a new company backed by Ari Emanuel (the brother of former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel) purchased the Frieze brand and its art fairs from his former employer, the global entertainment group Endeavor Holdings.
In her tenure at EXPO to date, Sierzputowski has led development of the EXPOSURE section, where newer galleries are on view on the floor, and has spearheaded EXPO’s curatorial and public programming.
Karman, who founded EXPO Chicago in 2012, announced earlier this year that he would step down from leading the fair after 14 years. The contemporary and modern art fair was Karman’s answer to the end of Art Chicago, a similar art fair that ran from 1980 to 2011.
“As I move into a new advisory role with EXPO CHICAGO, I want to acknowledge the deep commitment Frieze has made to both the fair and to Chicago’s wider cultural landscape,” Karman said in the statement in the spring. “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting the team as they shape the future of the fair.”
In addition to Sierzputowski’s promotion, the fair also announced Essence Harden will be EXPO’s curator, a new role. Harden, a Los Angeles-based curator, created the Focus section of emerging galleries at Frieze Los Angeles.
In a statement, Frieze’s executive director of fairs Kristell Chadé Sierzputowski and Harden are “united in their commitment to elevate perspectives that will continue to define the fair’s success.”
“Their appointment represents the next generation of Chicago’s art community — highly collaborative and forward-thinking,” Chadé said. “Their partnership reflects the creative exchange that defines both EXPO CHICAGO and the wider Frieze network.”
EXPO annually draws galleries from around the world to Navy Pier. Next year’s fair will take place April 9-12, 2026.