Tony Karman, the longtime director of Expo Chicago, will step down from his role at the end of June, the fair announced in an email. Karman will keep his title of president, serving in an advisory role, while Expo searches for a new director.
In its email, addressed to “friends and supporters” and reviewed by ARTnews, Expo Chicago described Karman’s tenure as “14 remarkable years as a driving force behind the fair.”
In a statement included in the email, Karman said, “When I founded EXPO CHICAGO in 2011, our ambition was to renew Chicago’s storied tradition as a preeminent art fair destination—to innovate, to establish enduring programming and partnerships that would benefit the local, regional, and global communities of galleries, collectors, curators, and institutions, and to consistently support our exhibitors and the artists they represent. I remain deeply proud of all that we accomplished, and of the distinct honor it has been to work alongside an extraordinary group of individuals, each of whom contributed meaningfully to this legacy.”
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This leadership transition is the first major one to affect Expo Chicago since its acquisition, along with the Armory Show in New York, by Frieze in July 2023. At the time of the sale, Frieze said both fairs would maintain their current teams, with Karman at the helm at Expo Chicago and Nicole Berry for the Armory Show. Berry departed the latter fair in March 2024 for a development role at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles; Kyla McMillan was named as her successor that July.
Frieze itself has also gone through an ownership change, having been sold earlier this month to a new company founded by Ari Emanuel, who had originally acquired Frieze via Endeavor Group Holdings when he had been its CEO. That company is now fully owned by private equity firm Silver Lake, which since last year had been exploring selling off Frieze. Emanuel’s purchase of Frieze was reportedly valued at around $200 million.
Karman launched Expo Chicago in 2012, a successor to Art Chicago, which ran from 1980 until 2011 and was once considered the top art fair in the US. The most recent edition of Expo Chicago, which saw a number of sales from its 170 exhibitors and drew more than 35,000 visitors, ran last month.
In a statement, Frieze CEO Simon Fox said, “I want to thank Tony for his dedication, professionalism, and energy at EXPO CHICAGO. I am delighted that this next chapter will ensure a seamless transition of leadership whilst retaining Tony’s tireless enthusiasm, positivity, and support for both the fair and the City of Chicago.”
“As I move into a new advisory role with Expo Chicago,” Karman’s statement continued, “I want to acknowledge the deep commitment Frieze has made to both the fair and to Chicago’s wider cultural landscape. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting the team as they shape the future of the fair.”
