Mart creates 'gallery' spaces, one-stop shopping for art extravaganza
For art lovers, it's a great weekend to be in Chicago. And the Merchandise Mart is ground zero. That's where Artropolis, a collection of five art, cultural and antique fairs, is taking place. Included on the Artropolis bill: Art Chicago, NEXT: The Invitational Exhibition of Emerging Art, The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair, The Artist Project and the Intuit Show of Folk/Outsider Art.
The numbers are fairly astounding: Between the five fairs that make up Artropolis, there are 780 exhibitors and more than 1,600 works of art from 240 cities and 28 countries.
• 12th floor of the Merchandise Mart, Wells at the Chicago River
• Approximately 180 of the world's best art dealers will exhibit the works of more than 2,000 renowned artists
• Hours for all shows: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. today and Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday
• For tickets to all shows: $20, adults daily ($25 multi-day pass); seniors, students $15 multi-day pass; free, children under 12;www.artropolischicagocom
Not to be missed: "Le Songe" by Marc Chagall (Galerie Boulaki, booth 12-509); "Portrait" a 1927 oil on canvas by Jean Metzinger; "Faun and Goats," a 1959 linocut by Pablo Picsso (R.S. Johnson Fine Art Gallery, book 12-641); and "Party" a 2007 oil on canvas by John Moore (Hirschl & Adler Modern Gallery, Booth 12-545).
• For more information: visit www. artchicago.com.
• Works by 300 established and emerging artists primarily from around the United States who are not represented by agents or galleries.
• Not to be missed: Since this show features works by emerging artists, everything in it should give you insight into art of the moment (or art de l'instant as the French say).
• For more information, check out: www.theartistproject.com.
• More than 26 local, national and international dealers of folk and Outsider art.
• Not to be missed: "Outsider Art 101," a free lecture (with admission to Artropolis) being held noon to 1 p.m. today, Sunday and Monday.
• For more information, check out: art.org/intuitshow
• Some of the most important and cutting-edge works from established and emerging artists will be on display in the 150,000-square-foot space. If you like your art edgy and of the moment, this is the show for you.
• For more information, check out: www.nextartfair.com
GOOD TO KNOW
• Go green and save some green: Ride your bike to the Mart for Artropolis, show your helmet and get into the show free.
• For details about the first floor Dream Rooms exhibit and the eighth floor International Antiques Fair please see today's Homelife section.
--Misha Davenport
"This space is unparalleled anywhere in the world," says Mark Falanga, senior vice-president of Merchandise Mart Properties, the producer of the fair. "We wanted to create a show that catered to every art enthusiast."
While there are certainly master works out of the price range of the average buyer, that's not to say there isn't affordable art to be had.
"The prices range from as low as $200 to upwards of millions," Falanga says. "There's an access point for anyone."
And, in keeping with the democratic spirit, 32 works will be on view to the public outside or on the first floor of the Mart.
"Last year we were constrained by just two floors and had to shoehorn Artropolis into vacant space," says Falanga. "Our goal for this year was to make this more easy to navigate."
While last year had several of the fairs split between the Merchandise Mart and the adjacent Apparel Center, this year's Artropolis will feature all of the shows under one roof at the Mart.
The crowning achievement this year is Art Chicago, both figuratively and literally. It's on the 12th floor of the Mart with the rest of the shows on floors below it. Merchandise Mart Properties spent more than $6 million to completely gut and renovate the 12th floor, which used to house wholesale showrooms for the gift industry.
"There was a sense that the space had to rise to meet the level of quality of the art," says Tony Karman, vice president of Art Chicago. "We've created a floor that has more finishes than what you saw last year. It truly feels as if you've stepped into individual galleries."
They desired to create a world-class showcase through little touches like finished ceilings, crown molding, polished cement floors and low-energy halogen lights. While each of the gallery spaces is open to complete customization based on need, the basic space is much improved over last year.
"We tried to create the kind of space gallery dealers were looking for," Karman says.
And, it would appear they've succeeded: 180 galleries are taking part in Art Chicago this year, 30 more than last year.
Some of the additional galleries had previously written off Art Chicago, but have been wooed back in part because of the space.
"Our fingers are crossed that we've done right by them," Karman says.
