The Windy City Revival: A Return To Art and Inspiration
It had been years since I last set foot in Chicago—a city woven into my life through family visits, friendships, and even auditions from my musical theatre days.
This past April, I finally returned, drawn by the discovery of EXPO CHICAGO, the contemporary art fair at Navy Pier. I had only learned of the fair a few months before, but it immediately felt like the perfect reason to revisit one of my favorite cities.
EXPO CHICAGO gathers artists, galleries, and museums from across the city and the globe, creating a world at once expansive and intimate. Among my must-sees were GRAY, Monique Meloche, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Eiteljorg Museum from Indianapolis. Each reminded me that contemporary art is both rooted in its place and endlessly borderless, carrying voices and visions across continents.
Artwork featured at Meloche’s booth at EXPO CHICAGO
That Friday evening, as galleries across the city extended their hours, I wandered beyond the fair itself. At Mariane Ibrahim, Michi Meko’s Under the Flickering Light of the North Star enveloped me in a hush, as though I had stepped into a sacred space. In the back, AD LIBITUM, created with London’s Gallery FUMI, unfolded as a magnificent fusion of painting, sculpture, and design. It was here that I encountered the work of Peter Uka, an artist whose brilliant and vibrant work and recently caught my eye.
Just next door, Monique Meloche was alive with celebration, marking twenty-five years with a group show featuring Candida Alvarez, Brendan Fernandes, Rashid Johnson, Shinique Smith, and many more. The gallery hummed with energy, a gathering of Chicago’s art community in full force. For me—both a visitor and someone returning to the visual arts after time away—it was exhilarating to be in the midst of it.
Exquisite works exhibited from both galleries
The fair itself deepened the experience through its /Dialogues program, panel discussions and artist talks that expanded the work on view into conversations about identity, migration, and cultural histories. Korean Art Today and IM/Migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago lingered with me, reminders of how art exists as much in dialogue as in form.
I also delighted in discovering galleries that were new to me. At COTT, from Buenos Aires, I spoke with both a director and an artist present as we stood among her works on display. When I returned later, I noticed that one of the pieces I had been admiring was already gone—purchased by a collector in the meantime—a quiet reminder of how quickly art finds its home. At Galerie Richard, Rémy Hysbergue’s use of velvet as canvas stopped me in my tracks, luxurious and unexpected. Hesse Flatow paired the works of Lizzie Gill and Jonathan Ryan in a compelling juxtaposition, while at Rhona Hoffman’s booth, I was able to meet the legendary gallerist herself, whose influence continues even as her gallery doors closed that very weekend.
Contrasting styles by Lizzie Gill and Jonathan Ryan
Nancy Spero’s “Mourning Women No. 3”, 1989 at Hoffman’s booth
On Sunday, I made my way to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, my first visit since 2011. With little time before closing, I moved quickly, yet Pipilotti Rist’s Supersubjektiv and Wafaa Bilal’s Indulge Me demanded stillness, pulling me into their light and provocation. Before leaving, I succumbed to one last indulgence in the museum store: a stack of books, weighty with promise.
Throughout my stay, the city nourished me as much as the art. Mornings began with Stan’s Donuts, where plant-based breakfasts gave way—inevitably—to glazed treats I cannot resist. Another morning at avec in River North blended refinement with comfort, while dinners at The Gage and PLANTA offered meals that mirrored the city itself: generous, inventive, and alive with flavor.
More artwork from EXPO CHICAGO…I even spotted a piece by Elaine de Koonig!
By the time I left, I hadn’t shopped much beyond essentials, but I carried something far greater. Being back in Chicago felt like a reunion long overdue, a reminder of why this city has always held a place in my heart. It is alive with history, creativity, and warmth, and it welcomed me back as if no time had passed at all.
This post was a long time coming. I love this city, and I will not let so many years slip away before I return again.