The 2026 Chicago Art Fair at the Merchandise Mart

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I miss the way things were pre-pandemic. One thing I especially miss is the fall art shows I once looked forward to attending. So I was excited to visit the first Chicago Art Fair. It was small, relatively speaking, but I think it got off to a good start. Here are some of my favorite artists from the show.

Kayla Mahaffey

Alison Price

C Dutch

Karen L. Kirshner

Peppy Colours

Mark Liam Smith

Alexandria Mooney Jones

Fernando DaSilva

Kate Vogel and John Littleton

J Ruel Martin

Mitchell Craig

Andréa Stanislav

Michel Mirabal

I enjoyed the show and hope that it will return next year and become a fixture of the fall art show schedule like SOFA used to be. This was also my introduction to the work that Black Figure Bureau is doing and I was very intrigued and impressed. I'm glad I had the opportunity to see so much incredible work by talented artists.

Additional October Events

The Loop Arts Fest is happening on State Street on Saturday, October 17th from noon until 6 p.m. Celebrate local artists in the Loop! Of course, we all know how Chicago weather can be, so in case it rains or snows, you can find me in the studio since the Fine Arts Building is participating in both days of Open House Chicago!

Since I can't be in 2 places at once, my Open House Chicago open studio will be on Sunday, October 18th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's a rare opportunity to visit on a weekend if you're too busy on Fridays.