Art Chicago
Encyclopedia
Art Chicago is an international contemporary
art exhibition
held each year in Chicago
, Illinois. It is Chicago's longest-running and only remaining major contemporary art exposition.
contemporary art exposition in 1981. It was the first such in North America. For years it was held in the long barnlike sheds on Chicago's Navy Pier
. In 1989 the leaky old sparrow-infested sheds on the pier were demolished and replaced by a mall, theatres, entertainment venues and convention exhibition halls. In 1993 Thomas Blackman took over as organizer of Art Chicago. During the 1990s, Art Chicago was called "the nation's leading fair of 20th-century art," "second only to Art Basel in Switzerland in global importance."
As the 1990s progressed, Art Chicago had troubles. The new Navy Pier buildings were cleaner and more inviting than the old ones, but the carnival atmosphere on the pier attracted an audience unused to art fairs. Robert Landau of Landau Fine Art in Montreal
said of his experience in 2002, "we had more customers walking in off Navy Pier who really weren't there to see the art show. We had so many people coming in making remarks like, 'Are any of these paintings real?'" Sales decreased and major galleries pulled out. The newer "Art Basel Miami" fair surpassed Art Chicago in excitement, and drew away more galleries and important collectors.
In 2000 there were over 200 exhibitors; in 2004, the last year the fair was held on Navy Pier, there were more than 150 galleries exhibiting. In 2005 Art Chicago, redubbed "Art Chicago in the Park" was held in a giant tent in Grant Park
behind the Art Institute of Chicago
. There were now only 94 exhibitors, several of whom were new young Chicago galleries.
, through a spokeswoman, expressed annoyance and disappointment. An attempt to quickly reorganize the fair on Navy Pier fell through.
On Thursday, April 27, it was announced that Art Chicago would take place on the eighth floor of the Merchandise Mart
, sharing it with the "Chicago Antiques Fair" which was already scheduled. Although makeshift, the fair was professionally handled, and although many exhibitors expressed concern, only three out of 104 dealers dropped out. At the same time, it was announced that Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. would buy the fair from Thomas Blackman Associates. A number of exhibitors said they were impressed at how well the fair turned out, and many preferred the new location.
Art Chicago 2008 built on the success of Art Chicago 2007, with more international galleries and more favorable attention and support, as well as the addition of the NEXT Art Fair, an invitational exhibition of emerging art.
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
art exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
held each year in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois. It is Chicago's longest-running and only remaining major contemporary art exposition.
History
Art Chicago was founded as an American version of the Art BaselArt Basel
Art Basel is an international contemporary art fair held each June in Basel, Switzerland. Similar to the Venice Biennale, it has been called "the Olympics of the art world". Art Basel features nearly 300 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa...
contemporary art exposition in 1981. It was the first such in North America. For years it was held in the long barnlike sheds on Chicago's Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
. In 1989 the leaky old sparrow-infested sheds on the pier were demolished and replaced by a mall, theatres, entertainment venues and convention exhibition halls. In 1993 Thomas Blackman took over as organizer of Art Chicago. During the 1990s, Art Chicago was called "the nation's leading fair of 20th-century art," "second only to Art Basel in Switzerland in global importance."
As the 1990s progressed, Art Chicago had troubles. The new Navy Pier buildings were cleaner and more inviting than the old ones, but the carnival atmosphere on the pier attracted an audience unused to art fairs. Robert Landau of Landau Fine Art in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
said of his experience in 2002, "we had more customers walking in off Navy Pier who really weren't there to see the art show. We had so many people coming in making remarks like, 'Are any of these paintings real?'" Sales decreased and major galleries pulled out. The newer "Art Basel Miami" fair surpassed Art Chicago in excitement, and drew away more galleries and important collectors.
In 2000 there were over 200 exhibitors; in 2004, the last year the fair was held on Navy Pier, there were more than 150 galleries exhibiting. In 2005 Art Chicago, redubbed "Art Chicago in the Park" was held in a giant tent in Grant Park
Grant Park (Chicago)
Grant Park, with between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks...
behind the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
. There were now only 94 exhibitors, several of whom were new young Chicago galleries.
2006 Troubles
In 2006 catastrophe struck. The fair was again planned to be in a tent in Grant Park. Construction had been visibly slow, but it was not until the evening of Tuesday, April 25—two days before the fair was scheduled to open—that the news came out that Art Chicago was unprepared. There was a dispute between Blackman and the contractors, with Blackman claiming that the flooring was unacceptable and the contractors claiming bounced checks. Blackman appears to have tried to arrange quick financing, including offering to sell his business the Friday before. Embarrassingly, several international art dealers were turned away from the tent, where they had arrived to set up their exhibits. Mayor DaleyRichard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
, through a spokeswoman, expressed annoyance and disappointment. An attempt to quickly reorganize the fair on Navy Pier fell through.
On Thursday, April 27, it was announced that Art Chicago would take place on the eighth floor of the Merchandise Mart
Merchandise Mart
When opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart or the Merch Mart, located in the Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, was the largest building in the world with of floor space. Previously owned by the Marshall Field family, the Mart centralized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating vendors...
, sharing it with the "Chicago Antiques Fair" which was already scheduled. Although makeshift, the fair was professionally handled, and although many exhibitors expressed concern, only three out of 104 dealers dropped out. At the same time, it was announced that Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. would buy the fair from Thomas Blackman Associates. A number of exhibitors said they were impressed at how well the fair turned out, and many preferred the new location.
Recent Fairs
In 2007 Art Chicago's new owners brought back some of the strength of the older fair. With 132 exhibitors, it was part of a five-day art exposition, "Artropolis", which also included Bridge Art Fair Chicago 07, The Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art, and The Artist Project Independent Artist Exhibition + Sale .Art Chicago 2008 built on the success of Art Chicago 2007, with more international galleries and more favorable attention and support, as well as the addition of the NEXT Art Fair, an invitational exhibition of emerging art.