The 31st annual Art Chicago shared it 12th-floor perch with the Next fair devoted to emerging art in the Merchandise Mart from 29 April-2 May reflecting the fast changing nature of the event.

Last year, the main fair took up the entire floor. For this edition, over 40 dealers did not return and the exhibitor roster was down to 128 from 155 participants the year before. Not returning were the Helsinki Galerie Forsblom, London galleries Haunch of Venison and White Cube, and Pace Prints and Nyehaus, both from New York. Even longtime Art Chicago stalwart Rhona Hoffman skipped the fair and opted to take in the gallery scene in Berlin instead. New exhibitors included smaller dealerships like 101/exhibit of Miami and art company Misoolsidae of Seoul, giving the fair a more contemporary edge and post-war art having far less of a presence.

Although a horrific storm ground air traffic in New York to a standstill the day of the vernissage, the fair was packed solid and attendance was up 27% to 7,500 visitors. Longtime Chicago collectors like Larry and Marilyn Fields and Manfred and Fern Steinfeld took in the fair. And with artist Shephard Fairey clad in a Sex Pistols t-shirt deejaying at Next, that portion of the fair pulsated.

Museum groups hitting the fair included the Contemporary Art Museum St Louis donors led by director Paul Ha; Milwaukee Art Museum trustees with director Dan Keegan; as well as visitors from the Baltimore Museum of Art, Miami Art Museum, Walker Art Center and Grand Rapids Art Museum.

With the fair shrinking some dealers like Carl Hammer of Chicago had larger stands. “I would never get this much space in the Armory Show or Art Basel Miami Beach,” said Hammer who was showing a Bill Traylor drawing, Red Dog, 1942, for $350,000, the highest price noted in the fair. “New Yorkers are in an extreme minority but I’m hoping this is a turnaround time for the fair,” he said.