Over 55 galleries, institutions, and artist-run spaces are aligning to present a weekend of exhibition openings, activations, and events this fall, showcasing art throughout Chicago’s many neighborhoods for the inaugural Chicago Exhibition Weekend. The landmark weekend (September 29 to October 1, 2023) is co-presented by EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, and Chicago-based cultural agency Gertie.
“EXPO CHICAGO is not just one week of the year, our program is year-round. This weekend of activations is a brand new part of that, exemplifying our mission to spark meaningful opportunities for lasting connections with art and showcase Chicago as a national and global center for the arts and culture.” said Tony Karman, President and Director of EXPO CHICAGO. “One of the most important ways to create meaningful impact for our city is to convene and celebrate the powerhouse artists, galleries, and cultural leaders living and working in Chicago today."
“In Chicago we have a super vital and exciting ecosystem of art galleries, organizations, and institutions that sustain and foster both emerging and established artists,” said Abby Pucker, Founder of Gertie and sister nonprofit Art in Common. “Through Chicago Exhibition Weekend, we are welcoming the city’s next generation of talented business, civic, and philanthropic leaders to engage with gallerists, artists, and curators across the city to build generative relationships that allow the visual arts scene to continue to thrive.”
Chicago Exhibition Weekend events include:
Friday, September 29: An opening night dinner will launch the weekend from 7 – 10pm CT at 1229 W. Concord Pl. Open to the public via ticket, this event will bring together people from across the arts, business, and civic sectors. Tickets are available here.
Saturday, September 30: Citywide exhibition openings, a full map of participating galleries, institutions, and artist-run spaces are available here. Participants can register here to pick up a free map of Chicago Exhibition Weekend, and receive stamps at each location they visit. Participants with more than two stamps will gain entry to the weekend’s closing dance party at a secret location (to be unveiled on the day).
Sunday, October 1: Citywide exhibition openings continue, concluded by a closing dance party, accessible to all who receive stamps at two or more Chicago Exhibition Weekend participating locations.
The list of participating galleries, institutions, and artist-run spaces across the city includes:
- 21c Museum Hotel Chicago, 55 E Ontario St
- Ackerman Clarke, 2544 W Fullerton Ave
- Addington Gallery, 704 N Wells St
- AMFM, 2233 S. Throop St
- Andrew Rafacz, 1749 W Chicago Ave
- Anthony Gallery, 1360 W Lake St
- Apparatus Projects, 1500 S Western Ave
- Arte Haus, 3759 W Diversey Ave
- The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E Ontario St
- Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave
- Arts of Life Circle Contemporary, 2010 W Carroll Ave
- Bert Green Fine Art, 8 S Michigan Ave
- Blanc Gallery, 4445 S Martin Luther King Dr
- Buddy, 78 E Washington St
- Chicago Architecture Biennial, 78 E Washington St
- Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219-21 S Morgan St
- Comfort Station, 2579 N Milwaukee Ave
- Corbett vs Dempsey, 2156 W Fulton St
- Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave
- Devening Projects, 3039 W Carroll Ave
- Document, 1709 W Chicago Ave
- DuSable Museum, 740 E 56th Pl
- ENGAGE, 864 N Ashland Ave
- Englewood Arts Collective (Greater Englewood area)
- GOLA, 3147 S Morgan St
- Gallery VICTOR, 300 W Superior St
- Goldfinch, 319 N Albany Ave
- Goodweather, 1524 S Western Ave
- Gruen Galleries, 226 W Superior St
- Ingress Gallery at Soho House, 113-125 N Green Street
- Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S Cornell Ave
- Jean Albano Gallery, 215 W Superior St
- Johalla Projects, 1821 W Hubbard St
- Julius Caesar, 3311 W Carroll Ave
- Kavi Gupta, 835 W Washington Blvd
- LVL3, 1542 N Milwaukee Ave
- M. LeBlanc, 3514 W Fullerton Ave
- Mariane Ibrahim, 437 N Paulina St
- Mickey, 1635 W Grand Ave
- Monique Meloche Gallery, 451 N Paulina St
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E Chicago Ave
- Prairie, 2055 W Cermak Rd
- Rebuild Foundation - Retreat at Currency Exchange Café, 305 E Garfield Blvd
- Rhona Hoffman Gallery, 1711 W Chicago Ave
- GRAY, 2044 W Carroll Ave
- Rosenthal Fine Art, 210 W Superior St
- Rupture, 3147 S Morgan St
- RUSCHMAN and RUSCHWOMAN, 4148 N Elston Ave and 2100 S Marshall Blvd
- Carrie Secrist Gallery, 1732 W Hubbard St #1A
- Soccer Club Club, 2923 N Cicero Ave
- South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S Michigan Ave
- Stoodio, 600 W Van Buren St
- Tala, 1644 W Chicago Ave
- Very Serious Gallery, 673 N Milwaukee Ave
- Volume, 1709 W Chicago Ave
- W.Gallery, 600 W Van Buren St
- Western Exhibitions, 1709 W Chicago Ave
- The Smart Museum, 5550 S Greenwood Ave
- Weatherproof, 3336 W Lawrence Ave, Ste 303
- Zolla/Lieberman Gallery, 325 W Huron St
A full schedule and additional information on participants and citywide activations can be found here.
About EXPO CHICAGO
EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art features leading international galleries alongside a leading platform for contemporary art and cultural programming. Hosted within historic Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, EXPO CHICAGO presents a diverse and inventive program, including /Dialogues (presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago) and Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting, unrivaled talks programs for both public and VIP audiences; IN/SITU, dynamic on-site installations highlighting large-scale sculpture, film, and site-specific work; and major public art initiatives, including IN/SITU Outside, public art installed throughout Chicago Park District locations, and OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, a curated selection of international artists throughout the city’s digital billboard network. The EXPO CHICAGO program also features an unprecedented commitment to host curatorial initiatives during the exposition, including the Curatorial Forum in partnership with Independent Curators International (ICI); the Curatorial Exchange, which partners with foreign agencies and consulates to expand the exposition’s global reach; and the Director’s Summit, which convenes emerging museum leaders in a series of conversations addressing the future of museum leadership and institutional reinvention. Under the leadership of President and Director Tony Karman, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community and inspiring its collector base. For more information on EXPO CHICAGO, visit expochicago.com.
About Gertie
Made by and for Chicago's vibrant arts and culture community, Gertie is a cultural agency aimed to help people discover, experience and connect with Chicago's art community. Gertie’s mission is to build bridges between the creative and business communities to help Chicago’s creative economy thrive.
About Chicago Exhibition Weekend
The inaugural Chicago Exhibition Weekend (CXW) will celebrate visual arts organizations across the city September 29–October 1. The weekend will bring together over 50 galleries, institutions, and artist-run spaces to present exhibitions that encourage everyone from seasoned collectors to those new to engaging with Chicago’s visual arts scene to explore unique programs, extended hours and more. CXW will also welcome the city’s next generation of talented business, civic, and philanthropic leaders to engage with gallerists, artists, and curators through community dinners, programming, and a closing celebration that aims to cultivate the relationships needed for the city’s arts scene to continue to thrive.