Art Chicago® 2009

Premier Art Galleries from Around the World Unite with Exceptional Programming, Exhibitions and Alliances During  

Art Chicago will once again be hosted on the 12^th floor of Chicago’s iconic Merchandise Mart, in the heart of a city with an unmatched commitment to arts and culture. 

“Art Chicago is as much about Chicago as it is about art,” states Chris Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) “This is a city with a spirited commitment to art and architecture, and, as such, is home to world-class cultural institutions run by the brightest professionals in the arts.  I think art – particularly contemporary art – has a tremendous capacity to help form our civic outlook, encourage acceptance of original ideas, and help shape the point of view from which we approach problem solving.” 

Offering curators, collectors and art enthusiasts a wide-ranging survey starting with early 20^th Century modern masters up through the most celebrated, emerging artists of our times, Art Chicago includes works in a wide range of media including painting, photography, drawings, prints, sculpture, video and special installations. 

A sampling of 2009 galleries includes:

-          Base Gallery, Tokyo
-          Chambers Fine Art, New York
-          Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago
-          DIE Gallery, Frankfurt
-          Fleisher-Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia
-          Forum Gallery, New York
-          James Goodman Gallery, New York
-          Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago
-          Mayor Gallery, London
-          Paul Thiebaud Gallery, San Francisco
-          P.P.O.W., New York 

“Art Chicago 2009 will be a comprehensive art experience for dealers, collectors, curators, artists and enthusiasts alike,” notes Tony Karman, vice president of Art Chicago.  “The show will maintain its international flavor, with galleries from Spain, England, Germany, Canada, India, Korea, France, Mexico and Japan participating.  We welcome many returning Art Chicago galleries as well as first-time participants from abroad, throughout the US, the Midwest and, of course, our own Chicago dealers.” 

Innovative and Compelling Arts Experience
“Art has to be the subtext for any production concerning Art Chicago,” notes Vice President of MMPI Art Shows & Events Paul Morris, “To this end, Art Chicago has taken a lead position emphasizing education and outreach to experienced collectors, and programs designed to attract and engage new collectors.  Our team is focused on making all of the art at the fair accessible; we’ve implemented a Docent Program, improved cultural alliances, are offering Art Advisory services, and have solicited the participation of the pre-eminent thinkers in the art world.” 

Entering The Merchandise Mart, Art Chicago attendees will encounter one of Buckminster Fuller’s renowned geodesic domes in the enormous South Lobby.  The original dome, aptly placed in the epicenter of design, is the ultimate representation of Buckminster Fuller’s unparalleled influence on art, design and architecture.  The dome also serves as a complement to the Museum of Contemporary Art’s concurrent exhibition Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe. 

Three stand-alone, on-site exhibitions will harmonize with the Art Chicago dealers within the gallery-like setting of The Merchandise Mart’s twelfth floor, including: New Insight, Partisan, and The Hairy Who and Imagist Legacy in Contemporary Art.     

New Insight, now in its third year, is a much-anticipated exhibition of top MFA students from some of the country’s most influential graduate art programs.  Curated by Susanne Ghez, director of the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, New Insight is a platform for new talent and innovative ideas.  This non-commercial installation will introduce Art Chicago visitors to the brightest young artists working in diverse graduate programs across the country. 

Mary Jane Jacob, executive director of exhibitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, will curate Partisan.  This special exhibition culled from Art Chicago galleries will highlight works dedicated to the artistic exploration of social and political ideas.  With hopes of initiating dialogue about art, activism and social change, Partisan provides a critical space of thought-provoking, highly charged works. 

The Hairy Who and Imagist Legacy in Contemporary Art will honor Chicago’s legendary artists best known for a colorful and irreverent aesthetic.  Art Chicago will present an exhibition of works by contemporary artists whose works demonstrate an Imagist influence, whether from an unusual approach to representation, rebellious technique or link to the Imagist lineage.  This exhibition, also featuring work by artists represented at the fair, will be curated for Art Chicago by Lynne Warren, curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and expert on the history of artistic practice in Chicago.  

Realist art evolves to encompass the eras it represents, and Art Chicago is proud to showcase unique representational works in a Salute to Realism.  Throughout the fair in dealer spaces, representational, outstanding works that demonstrate realism and traditional inspirations will be highlighted with special plaques. 

In addition to exhibitions, Art Chicago once again presents Art Chicago Speaks, an on-site series of round-tables, panels and presentations from an international roster of artists, writers, critics and curators brought together during the fair to discuss current trends and challenging issues confronting the contemporary art market today.  Among many others, presentations include A Night at the Opera: Performance and Process in Contemporary Sculpture presented by the International Sculpture Center. One on One: A Creative Conversation between Cynthia Rowley and Nick Cave will explore the intersection between art and style during this presentation by celebrated fashion designer and avid art collector Rowley and contemporary artist Cave, known for his wearable sculptures.  Rounding out the weekend will be Art and the New Economy, a panel discussion focusing on positive ways to navigate the art market and arts funding in challenging economic times; organized by ArtTable, this program will be led by Paul Morris, vice president MMPI Art Shows & Events and co-founder of The Armory Show; Chicago gallery owner Rhona Hoffman, and will also feature Sarah Herda, executive director of the Graham Foundation. 

“Art Chicago Speaks is a forum for exploring questions facing the art world in a tumultuous market,” explains Paul Morris.  “This intellectually engaging component to the fair challenges participants and guests with questions about the past, present and future of the art world, all led by some of the utmost experts in the art world today.” 

CONVERGE: Regional Curators’ Forum
Debuting at Art Chicago and NEXT, CONVERGE will assemble 30+ regional curators together in public programs and panels to discuss topics confronting museum and curatorial practice in the changing economic climate.  Art Chicago and NEXT will present this forum yearly during the fairs, bringing together curators from across the region and the country to discuss the most critical topics of the day.  

A City-wide Celebration of Arts and Culture
Art Chicago, the star of a city-wide celebration of arts and culture called Artropolis, will be hosted at The Merchandise Mart.  Running concurrently at The Mart is NEXT, the invitational exhibition of emerging a
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