Chicago, IL – October 7, 2024 – This past weekend, Gertie, the civic and cultural agency founded by Abby Pucker, presented the second annual Chicago Exhibition Weekend (CXW) in partnership with EXPO CHICAGO. Building off the success of last year’s inaugural program, this year’s iteration was attended by over 7,500 locals and visitors, and featured a range of participating galleries and art spaces, Blanc Gallery, DOCUMENT, GRAY, Mariane Ibrahim, moniquemeloche, PATRON, Rhona Hoffman, and many more who have timed exhibitions to coincide with the weekend, extended hours, and organized special public programs.
CXW mobilizes new and existing audiences to engage with art galleries and creative spaces across the city, spotlighting Chicago’s vibrant cultural landscape and artistic spirit for locals and visitors alike and demonstrating the strength and resilience of the city’s creative economy. The weekend brought together art collectors, enthusiasts, and local community members to engage with Chicago’s cultural community, helping artists and gallerists cultivate new collectors, broaden their audiences, and heighten global visibility for the local arts ecosystem.
CXW kicked off on Thursday, October 3 with a cocktail party at Mariane Ibrahim hosted by EarlyWork, Gertie’s new membership network comprised of Chicagoans seeking a community centered around cultural engagement, and Independent Curators International (ICI). Also on Thursday and a highlight of the weekend was Rococinco, an intimate culinary experience hosted by EarlyWork. Presented in partnership with Rococo Art Advisory, the dinner was attended by over 30 EarlyWork members and their guests, alongside visitors from New York and Los Angeles. The culinary experience featured courses inspired by the work of artists Armani Howard, Carmen Neely, Yvette Mayorga, Isabella Mellado, and Elsa Muñoz. Dinner was hosted inside Howard’s studio, followed by desserts inside Mayorga’s studio. The evening concluded with a CXW kickoff party at Arbella hosted by Povos, Tala, and Earlywork.
On Friday, October 4, the festivities continued with programming throughout the day, including the West Town Art Walk, followed by a 300-person kick-off dinner at UMMO attended by arts leaders throughout the city which led into the CXW Afterparty at the California Clipper. Throughout the weekend, participants across the city opened their doors and hosted extended exhibition hours, talks, and public programs. Highlights from Saturday, October 5 included the Northside Art Hop hosted by Old Friends, a gallery talk with David Antonio Cruz and Jasmine Wahi at moniqumeloche, and much more.
Also on Saturday was “Embracing Chicago,” the CXW kickoff program at The Murphy Auditorium in The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, featuring Aron Gent (DOCUMENT Gallery), Carla Acevedo Yates (Museum of Contemporary Art), and Luke Agada (Artist) in a panel discussion moderated by Lisa Key (Driehaus Museum). The panelists engaged in a riveting conversation about the cultural ecosystem in Chicago, sharing their perspectives as leaders within the local arts community. Later that night at The Murphy Auditorium, CXW hosted the public Night Market Art Bazaar, produced in partnership with Refine Collective. The event attracted over 400 attendees and featured artworks from vendors including Rebel Betty, Arte Haus Studios, Cherry Mountain Arts, re(c)reation, Divine Artworks, and more.
On Sunday, October 6, the weekend concluded with a packed day of citywide programs, including a free and public spray painting event with teaching artist Alex Mendez at Hyde Park Art Center, presented in partnership with Art21 and Colossal; the Mana Studio Crawl hosted by Stoodio and featuring LMRM, a project space for community resources; the EarlyWork x Good Weather Sip and Spill; and more.
In addition to programming, attendees were able to experience the vitality and diversity of the Chicago’s growing commercial art scene, exploring exhibitions and discovering new artists throughout the city’s many galleries and art spaces across neighborhoods. For visitors looking for inspiration, CXW commissioned local arts leaders Sam Lim Achatz (creative consultant), Scott Vincent Campbell (curator, Independent Curators International), Nick Cave (artist), Bob Faust (artist), Eugene Fu (collector), Laura Lester (art advisor), S.Y. Lim (arts organizer), Jada-Amina Harvey (artist, curator, arts organizer), Sam Thousand (performing artist), Danny Shapiro (co-founder of Scofflaw Bar Group), Haynes Riley (gallerist, Good Weather) and Carla Acevedo-Yates (curator, MCA Chicago) to curate their own customized routes with recommendations on galleries, non-profits, and local businesses to visit throughout the weekend.
“We were thrilled to share the best of Chicago’s art scene with so many out-of-town visitors last weekend, as well as to see locals residents rediscover the incredible diversity of their city’s cultural offerings,” said Abby Pucker, “With such great turnout, we’re excited to continue capitalizing on the momentum generated by CXW as we look ahead to Gertie’s continued efforts in uplifting Chicago’s creative economy and connecting the next generation of art enthusiasts, collectors, and patrons.”
“With so many participating galleries, including several new to the scene, this year’s edition of CXW was a true testament to the creativity that’s flourishing here in Chicago, as well as the strong local appetite for greater cultural connectivity,” said Chanelle Lacy, Gertie’s Director of Art Initiatives. “Visitors to CXW experienced world-class exhibitions, programming, and more, and we hope to welcome even greater crowds next year as we continue to expand the Gertie community.”
“EXPO CHICAGO is proud to have partnered with Gertie to present the second annual Chicago Exhibition Weekend,” said Tony Karman, President and Director of EXPO CHICAGO. “Chicago galleries and institutions saw a marked increase in attendance both from local and visiting collectors and welcomed new patrons to the many events and openings throughout the weekend.”
CXW 2024 Participating Galleries + Arts Spaces
