EXPO Chicago—our city’s premier art fair, now in its 13th edition—returns this week, bringing with it gallerists, collectors, and art enthusiasts from around the globe. 

Much ado has been made about the downsizing of this year’s fair—the first under the direction of Kate Sierzputowski and the third since Frieze acquired it. The number of participating galleries has dropped from around 170 to around 130, and EXPO has excised the Special Exhibitions and Editions + Books sections, which typically featured many local institutions. Still, there will be 12 local galleries with official presentations at the fair. And perhaps the smaller size will make the fair feel less exhausting.

It’s also worth remembering that EXPO Chicago is a commercial enterprise, and is perhaps not your best bet for discovering the most exciting local artists or learning about the coolest art spaces. Fortunately, EXPO Art Week helps draw attention to such spaces, and we’re honing in on a few (both official and unofficial participants) we think are worth visiting. Of course, there are many more events worth your time and attention, from the new Neighbors art fair, a decidedly smaller, invitation-only affair; to the much-beloved Barely Fair, which we wrote about yesterday; to the exhibition smorgasbord happening at 1709 W. Chicago.



“take my wife … PLEASE!”

Make no mistake: Nyeema Morgan is funny. For the local artist’s second exhibition with Patron, she sends up our expectations around what it means to frame something through the setup (or framing, if you will) of a joke. Through sculpture and drawing, the artist combines found media—like color swatches labeled “Modest White” or “Everyday White”—with her own pristine compositions, forcing the viewer to reconsider how we construct meaning.

Interested visitors can take in even more of Morgan’s work at the Neubauer Collegium, which is showing new works by Morgan and her husband, artist Mike Cloud, including a “jointly produced sound work.” (Through 4/25, Patron, 1612 W. Chicago, free, all ages)