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Under Director Kate Sierzputowski, EXPO CHICAGO Bets On Renewed Institutional Depth

The fair is doubling down on curator-led programming, institutional partnerships and engagement with its Midwestern collector base.

EXPO CHICAGO has long been a favorite among curators and museum directors, who come to the Windy City not only for the fair’s annual Curatorial Forum and Directors Summit but also for the ambitious, research-driven gallery presentations and strong institutional programming that coincides with its opening. Making this institutional and curatorial focus central to the art fair’s identity has been a defining priority for its new director, Kate Sierzputowski, who succeeded founder Tony Karman after he stepped down last May.

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“My vision for the fair is really focused on quality presentations—ones that feel cohesive and grounded in strong programming,” Sierzputowski told Observer ahead of the fair, which opens on April 9 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall. “EXPO has always had that strong curatorial stance. As we move to the future, I want to really make sure it’s embedded into what galleries are bringing and how they’re being curated into sections to reinforce this reputation.” She joined the team in 2020—well before it entered the Frieze brand galaxy—serving most recently as its artistic director, where she contributed to the fair’s curatorial and public programming, bringing major curators and institutional leaders to the fair while also creating meaningful moments for the local community.

For Sierzputowski, the obvious next step is bringing more of that curatorial rigor onto the fair floor. “Seeing how those programs can be integrated more deeply into the presentations is really how I imagine EXPO evolving,” she said, pointing to the 2026 edition as a clear example of that direction. “EXPO CHICAGO wants to be the fair that curators and directors come to first. That’s the priority.”

This year, the fair’s curated sections reflect several long-standing relationships with curators across the country. Kate A. Pfohl of the Detroit Institute of Arts, who is curating “Exposure,” is a former participant in the Curatorial Forum and has an established relationship with EXPO and its programming partner, ICI. Louise Bernard,........

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