2017 Northern Trust Purchase Prize

Each year EXPO CHICAGO and Presenting Sponsor Northern Trust select artworks from the fair’s EXPOSURE section– featuring galleries ten years and younger– to be purchased for an institution’s permanent collection. Since 2013, the award was gifted to one institution, but in 2022 it expanded to three U.S. institutions located in East, West and Midwest regions. Previous institution recipients 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; Walker Art Center. Learn more about the Northern Trust Purchase Prize artists and gallery recipients below.

2017 Northern Trust Purchase Prize Recipients & Winners

The 2017 Northern Trust Purchase Prize has been awarded to the institution: Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University

As Presenting Sponsor of EXPO CHICAGO, Northern Trust, will purchase the annual gift of artwork from the EXPOSURE section of the exposition, for galleries eight years and younger. 

The EXPOSURE section, installed on the main floor of the exposition, features solo and two-artist presentations represented by galleries ten years and younger. Focusing on a curated selection of emerging artists, EXPOSURE 2018 exhibitors were curated by Justine Ludwig | Director of Exhibitions and Senior Curator at Dallas Contemporary

Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University

Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University acquired the First Edition of the full body of work 1972, a performance-based photographic work by Rachel Monosov and Admire Kamudzengerere from Catinca Tabacaru Gallery.

"Being part of EXPOSURE, we created and built upon our relationships with other exciting young galleries and their artists. The fair shined a bright light on our program and we connected with numerous prestigious institutions which discovered the Gallery for the first time at EXPO CHICAGO. Of course, one of the highlights was the honor of receiving the Northern Trust Purchase Prize, which made it possible for the Block Museum to acquire the First Edition of the full body of work 1972, a performance-based photographic work by Israeli Rachel Monosov and Zimbabwean Admire Kamudzengerere."
— Catinca Tabacaru | Catinca Tabacaru Gallery

"Block Museum is thrilled to receive the honorable Northern Trust Purchase Prize. The prize naturally aligns with our mission to inspire and develop the newest generation of artists, scholars and arts professionals, as well as sculpt an environment where visual art is integral to teaching and learning across disciplines." — Lisa Corrin | Ellen Philips Katz Director of The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University