CGN Art Preview: April 2025
CGN adds to its calendar of art events daily, and there is no shortage of new exhibitions, openings, art fairs, talks and family art events to explore. We have put together a preview of what is coming up the rest of this month. Events happen throughout the city as well as in the suburbs and within a days drive. Whether you have an hour after work or you are looking for a weekend road trip, take a look and do a little planning in order to take a step into the world of art. Everyone is welcome!
Highlights are organized by event type. Dates vary and are subject to change.
– Ginny
CGN Publisher
• Auctions
Editions and Works on Paper
Thursday, Apr 3, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Offered several times a year, Editions & Works on Paper celebrates the possibilities of the multiple, showcasing editioned works by some of the 20th century's most significant artists. This auction features artists' books, prints, portfolios, sculpture, and more, offered at a variety of price points accessible to every collector.
• Exhibitions
25! - moniquemeloche anniversary exhibition
Apr 5–May 23; Opening: Friday, Apr 25, 6–8PM
A landmark exhibition celebrating the gallery’s 25th anniversary featuring Luke Agada, Candida Alvarez, Arocha-Schraenen, Sanford Biggers, Antonius-Tín Bui, Justin Cooper, David Antonio Cruz, Davis/Langlois, Brendan Fernandes, Dan Gunn, Chase Hall, Sheree Hovsepian, Rashid Johnson, Cindy Loehr, Jason Middlebrook, Lavar Munroe, Ben Murray, Maia Cruz Palileo, Ebony G. Patterson, Cheryl Pope, Karen Reimer, Carlos Rolón, Joel Ross, Carrie Schneider, David Shrobe, Arvie Smith, Shinique Smith, Jake Troyli, and Nate Young.
Faheem Majeed
Apr 18–Jun 7; Opening: Friday, Apr 18, 4–7PM
Faheem Majeed (b. 1976) is an artist, curator, educator, and non-profit administrator whose work focuses on institutional critique and centers collaboration as a tool to engage communities in meaningful dialogue.
Apparitions
Apr 25–Jun 27; Opening: Friday, Apr 25, 6–8PM
Apparitions, presenting the work of over twenty pioneering artists from across the last century whose interrogations of the human form and its fleeting presence have pushed boundaries of representation. Whether by dematerializing the body, imagining spirits, or making mirages, artists conjure a hallucinatory realm—a liminal space between what appears and what vanishes.
• Art Fairs, Special Events
RenBen 2025 by Meriem Bennani
Wednesday, Apr 23, 2025 7–10PM
RenBen is the Renaissance Society’s annual gala which raises a significant portion of the museum’s annual budget, enabling new artistic commissions, scholarly discourse, and lasting publications. RenBen is aligned with EXPO ART WEEK. The 2025 edition is shaped by the vision of Meriem Bennani. Known for her sharp humor, resourcefulness, and ability to blend the absurd with the deeply human, Bennani is the latest artist to lead the Renaissance Society’s tradition of artist-conceived galas, following the bold propositions of Piero Golia (2022), Adam Linder (2023), and Kevin Beasley (2024). This year, Bennani’s playful yet incisive approach will transform Vertiport Chicago—a working commercial helicopter facility—into an unexpected gathering space.
EXPO CHICAGO 2025
Apr 24–27 – Navy Pier
EXPO CHICAGO Contemporary Art Fair showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives. Inaugurated in 2012, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s robust history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community. In 2023, EXPO CHICAGO was acquired by Frieze, the world’s leading platform for modern and contemporary art.
Grand (Re)Imagining – Intuit Art Museum
Saturday, Apr 26
IAM welcomes you to its newly expanded 18,000 sf home, reimagined in space and spirit where you will discover a more expansive experience in self-taught, outsider and intuitive art.
Mingle with fellow art enthusiasts, enjoy delicious bites, spirited libations and a special performance by the Grammy-nominated Kahil El’Zabar Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, followed by a lively After Party with DJ and dancing.
Brendan Fernandes Presents Moving Through
Sunday, Apr 13, 2025 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
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