CHICAGO, IL.- For its 13th annual presentation, Art Chicago, the acclaimed international contemporary art fair produced by Thomas Blackman Associates, will be reinvented as Art Chicago in the Park and staged in a dramatic 125,000-square-foot tent overlooking Lake Michigan at Butler Field, adjacent to the new Millennium Park, from April 29 – May 2, 2005.

First produced as Art Chicago in 1993 in a tent structure at Chicago’s Cityfront Center, this year’s Art Chicago in the Park returns to plein air* with the largest exhibition structure of its kind ever erected for a contemporary art fair. Situated at Butler Field, the site offers a unique combination of the natural beauty of Grant Park and Lake Michigan with Chicago’s downtown Loop. Located directly across the street from The Art Institute of Chicago and adjacent to Millennium Park, Art Chicago in the Park is also a short trip from the West Loop Gallery District.

“This year’s show will signal a re-birth of Art Chicago,” enthused Thomas Blackman, the show’s veteran producer. “The city has hosted one of the world’s top art fairs for over a quarter of a century and I am confident that the 2005 Art Chicago in the Park, with its exciting new outdoor dynamic and proximity to Chicago’s stunning new Millennium Park, will rank among the most exciting to date.”

Art Chicago had most recently been staged at Navy Pier since 1995. This year’s Art Chicago in the Park will continue to feature some of the world’s most important fine arts galleries and the work of more than 2,000 individual artists. Among the anticipated 100 galleries are: Galerie Bhak of Seoul, Korea; Forum Gallery of New York; Peter Fetterman Gallery of Los Angeles; and Chicago’s own Roy Boyd Gallery and Carrie Secrist Gallery; among others. Featured artists include Anna Wilson (Roy Boyd Gallery), Eudardo Chillida (Galería Nieves Fernandez of Madrid, Spain), and Odd Nerdum (Forum Gallery), among others.

Additionally, Art Chicago in the Park will feature two innovative sections: The International Invitational and The Stray Show. The International Invitational will provide a selection of approximately 15 young, cutting-edge contemporary art galleries noted for their highly inventive programs. Each of the participating galleries will focus on a particular spectrum of current issues and trends that are electrifying the contemporary art world. This special section will offer an exciting opportunity for curators, collectors, critics and artists to see the latest work emerging on the international art scene. The Stray Show will present a selection of approximately 10 emerging galleries, atypical spaces, curatorial projects and independent initiatives from around the United States. Presented annually since 2001, this year marks the first time The Stray Show will be integrated into Art Chicago as a unique section that highlights avant-garde projects across the globe.

Plus, Art Chicago in the Park will include an open-to-the-public sculpture garden on the surrounding grounds and roundtable forums with new and established artists throughout the four-day fair. In addition, Art Chicago in the Park has established a new working relationship with the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA), which represents the finest collection of print publishers and dealers in the world. Finally, musical and theatrical collaborations with many of Chicago’s cultural institutions will be presented throughout the four-day fair.

Showcasing paintings, drawings, sculpture, mixed media, film, video and installations, Art Chicago in the Park will offer something for every contemporary aesthetic and sensibility.