Via PR

CHICAGO, December 14, 2023 – EXPO CHICAGO revealed today the three American institutions that will benefit from the 10th Northern Trust Purchase Prize, as well as two new prizes which will see outstanding works at the fair acquired by Macerich’s Fashion Outlets of Chicago for THE COLLECTION and 21c Museum Hotels, alongside the second year of the Barbara Nessim Acquisition Prize and Curatorial Travel Award. Together, the prizes will total in the region of $100,000 for the 2024 fair. EXPO CHICAGO will take place from April 11–14, 2024 at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Northern Trust (NASDAQ: NTRS), a leading provider of wealth management, investment management and asset servicing worldwide, returns as the fair’s Presenting Sponsor, marking over a decade of mutual endorsement of the arts.

Directors and curators from the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA; the Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee, WI; and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, in San Diego, CA will all select works from the EXPOSURE Section, which is dedicated to emerging galleries from across the globe aged ten years or younger. Presenting Sponsor, Northern Trust will purchase the chosen works for accession into the museums’ permanent collections. The selection will be announced at EXPO CHICAGO on April 12, at noon on the Northern Trust Exchange Stage.

“Northern Trust is committed to fostering culture and art within our communities, and nowhere is this more evident than in our Purchase Prize gifts,” said John Fumagalli, President, Central Region, Northern Trust Wealth Management. “We are proud of our support for emerging contemporary artists, and are thrilled to be able to share these works with such notable museums.”

Tony Karman, President and Director of EXPO CHICAGO, remarked: “We are thrilled to announce the three institutional recipients of the Northern Trust Purchase Prize, an initiative crucial to our mission of building relationships between leading cultural institutions and young artists and galleries. Northern Trust’s ongoing collaboration has truly shaped the legacy of EXPO CHICAGO as a moment of discovery and connection. In celebration of artists and their important work, we also welcome two new prizes this year in partnership with 21c Museum Hotels and Fashion Outlets of Chicago, alongside the returning initiatives supported by artist Barbara Nessim.”

“The High Museum of Art is honored to be selected as a recipient of the 2024 Northern Trust Purchase Prize,” said Rand Suffolk, Director of the High Museum of Art. “Our contemporary art department has long championed emerging artists from around the world, and we are thrilled to diversify our holdings and bring a new work to Atlanta with an acquisition from this year’s exposition.”

"We are delighted to accept the distinguished award from EXPO CHICAGO and Northern Trust, especially as it aligns with our commitment to supporting emerging artists and galleries,” said Kathryn Kanjo, the David C. Copley Director and CEO at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. “The expanded scope of the award, benefiting three U.S. institutions in different regions, underscores the vital role contemporary art plays in shaping diverse cultural landscapes across the country. This honor further motivates MCASD to continue championing the work of talented artists and contributing to the dynamic tapestry of the global art scene."

“It is an honor to be invited as the 2024 Midwest recipient of EXPO CHICAGO’s Northern Trust Purchase Prize, an accolade that allows the Milwaukee Art Museum to continue its pursuit of amplifying the voices and works of emerging artists,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director. “The award grants us an exciting opportunity to strengthen the Museum’s collection, further demonstrating the vitality of contemporary art throughout our region.”

Macerich’s Fashion Outlets of Chicago Purchase Prize

As part of its ongoing sponsorship of EXPO CHICAGO, Macerich’s Fashion Outlets of Chicago will present its inaugural Purchase Prize for THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion, the shopping center’s multifaceted contemporary art program featuring a collection of curated site-specific artwork. Located throughout Fashion Outlets’ common areas, THE COLLECTION includes 22 large-scale public art pieces by several renowned national and international artists living today, including Derrick Adams, Candida Alvarez, Daniel Arsham, Carlos Rolón/Dzine and more. At the 2024 edition of the exposition, leadership from Fashion Outlets of Chicago, alongside representatives from EXPO CHICAGO, will select an artist and work to join THE COLLECTION. The selection will be unveiled at EXPO CHICAGO on Thursday, April 11, during a special press reception at Navy Pier.

“Our inaugural Purchase Prize for THE COLLECTION demonstrates Fashion Outlets of Chicago’s ongoing commitment to making world-class contemporary art accessible to the public and providing a unique cultural experience to guests of the shopping center for years to come,” said Jim Hansen, Senior Property Manager at Fashion Outlets of Chicago. “We’re incredibly grateful to the EXPO CHICAGO team for helping us further that mission and for continuing to expand the reach of contemporary artists through our collective work.”

Previous recipients of the Northern Trust Purchase Prize include The Art Institute of Chicago; The Arts Club of Chicago; Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University; DePaul Art Museum, DePaul University; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg; Pérez Art Museum; Portland Art Museum; Saint Louis Art Museum; Seattle Art Museum; Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago; Speed Art Museum; and Walker Art Center. For the full list of artists and institutions awarded, see expochicago.com.

21c Museum Hotels Civic Acquisition Prize

The inaugural 21c Museum Hotels Civic Acquisition Prize at EXPO CHICAGO will build upon the strong partnership of the two organizations since a 21c Museum Hotel opened in Chicago in 2020, while highlighting how 21c’s exhibitions present thought-provoking contemporary art to a public audience. For the prize in April 2024, founders Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, alongside 21c’s Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites, will select up to two works that highlight the power of art to foster civic and community engagement for 21c’s permanent collection. The initiative continues the mission of 21c, North America’s only collecting museum dedicated solely to art of the 21st century, to emphasize accessibility and engagement with art of this century throughout the country.

“We are thrilled to inaugurate the 21c Civic Acquisition Prize at EXPO CHICAGO this spring.” said 21c’s Alice Gray Stites, Chief Curator, Museum Director. “21c and EXPO CHICAGO share a commitment to expanding access to contemporary art and a belief in the power of art to promote inclusivity and community. This is an exciting opportunity for 21c and EXPO CHICAGO to further contribute to the vitality of the city’s arts and culture.”

Barbara Nessim Acquisition Prize and Curatorial Travel Award

EXPO CHICAGO will present the sophomore Barbara Nessim Acquisition Prize and the Barbara Nessim Curatorial Travel Award with Independent Curators International (ICI), both of which are fully funded by Barbara Nessim, an artist recognized for her longstanding support of women in the arts. The acquisition prize will see an artwork at EXPO CHICAGO, created by a woman artist and valued up to $10,000, donated to the DePaul Art Museum. Awarded annually through at least 2025, the prize is selected by a committee composed of Barbara Nessim, Mary Dinaburg, and DePaul Art Museum Director Laura-Caroline de Lara.

The curatorial award is an annual travel grant of $3,000 which will be awarded each year to support the practice of one woman curator attending the Curatorial Forum. The selection will be made by a committee composed of Barbara Nessim and Mary Dinaburg.

“It excites me to make a difference and contribute to other women curators and women artists,” Barbara Nessim said. “I am thrilled to know that last year’s Acquisition Prize recipient, Selva Aparicio, is having an exhibition at the DePaul Art Museum concurrent with EXPO CHICAGO 2024, and Curatorial Travel Awardee Stephanie Seidel traveled to California to interview Betye Saar. I look forward to seeing the excellent work at the fair this year and offering these initiatives once again.”