Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest. Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke with five insiders about what excites them now and what they anticipate next.

The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition click here. 

Photo by Maria Ponce

Ionit Behar – 

MCA Curator

“Although summer is my favorite season in Chicago, September feels like the city’s true new year. At the MCA, I’m especially excited about Slow Dance, opening September 12 and curated by my colleague Jadine Colingwood. The exhibition explores slowness as a form of resistance, inviting us to pause in a culture of constant performance. Later in the season, we’ll present Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, a major retrospective curated by Jack Schneider, that marks the artist’s return to the MCA more than two decades after his first exhibition here. I’m also looking forward to Maria Gaspar’s live performance We Lit the Fire and Trusted the Heat (After Angela Davis), which transforms materials from the former Cook County Jail into a powerful space for music, memory, and community. Beyond the museum, Chicago Exhibition Week is when the city’s museums, galleries, and spaces open their doors with exhibitions, performances, and conversations, reminding us why Chicago remains one of the most exciting and generous contemporary art communities anywhere.”

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago