The Art Fair President: Tony Karman
“Even in better times, the simple act of collaboration is the bedrock of success.”
5 Questions with Tony Karman
President | Director, EXPO Chicago
Tony Karman has been active in the civic, business and cultural communities of Chicago for over 38 years. Working with select institutions, associations, government organizations, producers of special events and corporations, he has guided numerous projects from concept to conclusion. Currently, he is President | Director of EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art founding the exposition in 2012.
1. How are you navigating all this and preparing for what’s next?
I seem to be in a constant state of preparation, as I need to have several different scenarios for the exposition in play, while simultaneously addressing the challenges of maintaining the business. I am ever proud of the team, as we are being innovative and nimble in developing new programs in service to the local, regional and global arts community. Most importantly, I am buoyed by the wave of support for the exposition and the advice and counsel of many civic and business leaders as we continue to navigate the future. But to say that this is a challenging moment for myself, the exposition and the arts community is quite an understatement.
2. In an April 7th letter to the EXPO CHICAGO community, you said: “I hold on to a profound sense of optimism… I also maintain the sincere belief that together we will overcome the many challenges we are facing and do so in new and innovative ways.” Tell me about your sense of optimism, and how you are thinking through innovative approaches to your business model?
I am built as an optimist and will try to find a positive way out of any situation. That said, I am also a realist, confronting the many challenges head on and hopefully shifting for the greater good of all parties involved. With the exposition, we quickly adjusted to the reality of reduced revenues for art dealers by radically adjusting our terms moving forward and began an extensive review of our current and planned expenditures and core programming initiatives. Simultaneously, we are establishing best-practices for the health and safety of our patrons, preparing options for future dates if we are forced to postpone, and being forward thinking about creating new programming such as digital platforms and channels to augment our current offerings. This time has allowed us to take a fresh look at all of our programs and initiatives and out of necessity, we are reworking all of our communications, marketing and outreach procedures, and exploring new ways to stay relevant and be supportive of our local and international partners. We know there will be radical shifts in our industry over the next few months and with a touch of optimism and a little cleverness and luck, I plan to reassess old programming, innovate and adapt to survive. This is the perfect time to reassess the effectiveness of all aspects of the business to look for new opportunities to both implement and leverage.
3. As President | Director of EXPO, you partner with all sectors of Chicago’s community — cultural, political, retail, hospitality, and more. You have successfully made the case to the City that a major art fair will bring business to the local economy. There is a consensus — validated by research by the Arts Funders Forum — that the general public (and notably our government) does not understand what the arts sector really is, who it really serves, and how it impacts society at large. I argue that the arts sector is responsible for not properly advocating for and communicating arts importance in society. Given your experience (and your success at advocating for the sector), how can we best make this case, which is essential now more than ever?
This has been an age-old problem for the arts and cultural sector, and I am grateful for the collective work of many throughout the years who continue to advocate and deploy substantive metrics to back up your assertions. Unfortunately, artists, not-for-profits and cultural institutions will need to continue to work even harder to make this case. But the numbers are on our side, as I quote from the Bureau of Economic Analysis that it is reported that the arts and culture workforce contributed $877.8 billion, or 4.5 percent, to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017. That is not an insignificant number. And we too have used our metrics on advocacy efforts as EXPO CHICAGO generates a significant amount of revenue for the local cultural ecosystem (artists, galleries and institutions), providing hundreds of temporary jobs and skilled labor in building the exposition and driving audiences into their institutions for the week of the exposition. Additionally, we boost the hospitality industry by generating hotel room nights, restaurant patronage and transportation – all generating tax dollars for our City and State.
4. For me, your collaborative spirit has proven that “rising tides can lift all boats” and truly elevate an arts community. How do you see collaboration now, and what are some innovative forms of collaboration that we need at this moment?
Thank you for your very kind words as I strive to implement those actions in every aspect of my company, our mission and in life. Even in better times, the simple act of collaboration is the bedrock of success. The proof consistently plays out when all parties marshal together to make a much broader impact, and now more than ever it will be those that seek new and leverage collective partnerships that I believe will sustain. As an example, in the visual arts community galleries are banding together in many cities across the world to offer virtual gallery weekends, many sites are augmenting their digital platforms to provide a broadening list of resources, and art galleries, art fairs and arts institutions are collaborating to provide more online content – artist talks and actual exhibition presentations. Although many of these digital initiatives and collaborations are unique in this time of quarantine, they will not go away but will continue to supplement the in person experience that we are all anxious to see return. I also feel that the deep spirit of cooperation, acknowledgement of shared purpose and community that has been fostered will serve everyone very well in the future.
5. How do you think this crisis might change local arts ecosystems? And how might it impact the landscape of cultural patronage?
There is no doubt that the crisis is deeply affecting the for-profit and not-for-profit art ecosystems as the flow of monetary support has radically shut off and the resurgence of when and how much remains in question. Patrons are experiencing their own lack of discretionary funds while also being confronted with the increasing needs of the many organizations, galleries and institutions that they consistently supported. It will take time for this to return and everyone will need to operate with the realities of reduced revenue and radically adjusted expenditures. However, I sincerely believe in the deep seeded passion and commitment of arts patrons and in their determination to protect the museums, institutions, galleries, artists that they have invested time and money in from ultimately failing. I do believe in the resiliency of the overall industry, but in the for-profit and not-for-profit arts sectors, this may mean that organizations will need to strategically merge, focus their missions or, if they ultimately need to close, find other organizations to assume some of their core programming.
Tony Karman has been active in the civic, business and cultural communities of Chicago for over 38 years. Working with select institutions, associations, government organizations, producers of special events and corporations, he has guided numerous projects from concept to conclusion. Currently, he is President | Director of EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art founding the exposition in 2012.
Karman’s past work includes: Vice President | Director, Art Chicago, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.; Principal, KARMAN Projects Inc. – providing sponsorship acquisition, strategic brand development and marketing coordination for international clients; Director of Marketing and Development for the Auditorium Theatre Council; Associate Director, Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Chicago; Managing Director of Arie Crown Theatre–Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority; Legislative Associate for Vice Mayor David Orr, City of Chicago–Committee for Special Events and Cultural Affairs; Associate Director of the League of Chicago Theatres; and Managing Director with the Lakeside Group, producers of the Chicago International Art Exposition.
Originally from Rock Island, Illinois, Karman attended Augustana College and Kansas State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He was recently awarded a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French Government and an Honorary Doctorate from Columbia College Chicago. He has traveled extensively establishing numerous professional alliances and relationships throughout the world. He is a long-time resident of Chicago, where he lives with his wife Sondra. Karman currently serves on several civic committees including the Curatorial Advisory Board – Art on the Mart, the Advisory Committee – DePaul Art Museum, Board Member – The Magnificent Mile, the national board for Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue and Chairman Emeritus of the Chicago Artists Coalition.