New Leadership of EXPO CHICAGO Announced

EXPO CHICAGO begins a new chapter with the appointment of Kate Sierzputowski as director and Essence Harden as curator. Together, Harden and Sierzputowski bring a shared vision shaped by deep engagement with artists and institutions, connecting Chicago’s vibrant local scene to broader cultural conversations across the Americas. 

As director, Sierzputowski will guide EXPO CHICAGO’s overall vision, leading gallery relations, collector engagement and curatorial initiatives. In the new role of curator, Harden will support in shaping the fair’s identity across all aspects of the fair, while also curating a section and collaborating on programming. Tony Karman will continue as president of EXPO CHICAGO serving in an advisory capacity. 

‘Kate Sierzputowski and Essence Harden are united in their commitment to elevate perspectives that will continue to define the fair’s success,’ said Kristell Chadé, executive director of fairs at Frieze. ‘Under the leadership of Christine Messineo, director of Americas, their appointment represents the next generation of Chicago’s art community – highly collaborative and forward-thinking. Their partnership reflects the creative exchange that defines both EXPO CHICAGO and the wider Frieze network.’

Formerly artistic director of EXPO CHICAGO, Sierzputowski has been instrumental in championing the next generation of galleries, curators and collectors. Since joining in 2020, Sierzputowski has developed the fair’s curatorial and public programming, bringing in major curators and institutional leaders to the fair, and developed the fair’s EXPOSURE section. 

‘It’s an honour to build on EXPO CHICAGO’s deep connection to the city that inspires it,’ said Sierzputowski. ‘Chicago thrives on experimentation and generosity – I’m excited to expand how the fair reflects that creative energy and risk taking, while continuing to position it as a site for bold dialogue and exchange.’ 

Harden brings strong curatorial experience to EXPO CHICAGO, having curated Focus at Frieze Los Angeles since 2024. Curator of the 2025 edition of Made in LA at The Hammer Museum, Harden has curated exhibitions at Southern Guild in Los Angeles, California African American Museum (CAAM), The Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA), Art + Practice, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) and Oakland Museum of California. 

‘I’m thrilled to collaborate with EXPO CHICAGO to deepen its longstanding relationships with curators and institutions,’ said Harden. ‘At a moment when the arts – and the diasporic communities that build and sustain them – face increasing strictures and precarity, my work with the fair will foreground the civic and collaborative resonance between artists, galleries and institutions, reflecting the breadth of contemporary practice that defines this moment.’

EXPO CHICAGO will take place 9 – 12 April 2026 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall with Northern Trust as Presenting Sponsor.

Further Information

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