Packer Schopf Gallery, 942 West Lake St, Chicago, is participating in this year’s Fountain Art Fair in Chicago. Fountain is one of two satellite fairs for this year’s Expo Chicago (the other being Edition).

Packer Schopf is a meeting of the minds of Aron Packer and William Schopf. The gallery opened in the West Loop area of Chicago in 2006. Previously Packer had been interested in folk art but his interests shifted to contemporary art—genre meaning little but with an eye to the odd, the obscure and the iconoclastic.

What sort of art “catches" Packer’s eye?

“Hard to say exactly but I know it when I see it. So point being; Not much catches my eye.  We are relatively particular.” he says.

Even when art does catch Packer’s eye it isn’t necessarily bound for the gallery.

“There are lots of different spots an artist can be in--Public, private, gallery is different than museum. That kind of thing.  Noticing someone doesn't mean they come to the gallery,” says Packer. “I like abstract painting when I like. But in general we don't show abstract work at the gallery.  No particular look. Again hard to say.  I think if people see an arc of shows over a year’s time. You can start to get an idea of what we do.”

Shows like Fountain, Expo Chicago or Edition help a gallery in a different way from exhibits at the gallery.

“Shows are good as it's a whole group of folks interested in looking. And hopefully buying.” he says.

This weekend in Chicago is a next step, possibly, in making Chicago more of an art destination. But when you have several significant shows? It expands interest and excitement. When people come this weekend they will be impressed. But it is moving forward.

“It is pretty much a smaller version of what happens in Miami.  It's just way bigger there. Just scale it down 80 percent.” he says.

Packer Schopf is showing emerging artists at Fountain.

“And work that is in general under $1000 or $2000. Look for hand carved pencil by Diem Chau, Offbeat collage by Dana DeAno and Jennifer Yorke, Gloves with tattoo imagery on them but Ellen Greene and a public installation called Swing Set Drum Kit by Dave Ford. He'll have truck drawings in our booth. “says Packer.

Be sure to check out their booth.

Galerie Forsblom, in Helsinki, is one of a 120 galleries participating in the second edition of Expo Chicago. They are one of the galleries visitors always notice; always gravitate to when attending a large art fair. They stand out.

The gallery has a new, large, gallery space in central Helsinki that was designed by New York architects, Gluckman Mayner Architects. They hold ten exhibits a year showing major contemporary artists but also emerging artists.

Kaj Forsblom is the founder and director of the gallery and has been working in the art world since the late 1970s. He works with is son, director Frej Forsblom.

One of the “mysterious” parts, to the new art fan, of how galleries work is how they choose the artists they show or represent. It isn’t a mystery when an acknowledged and successful artist is shown but what about a new or emerging artist. How do they catch the attention of a gallery?

“My attention is caught when the work is original and captivating. The art has to be somehow either irritating or very pleasing. Something you want to see more of, something that touches you.” says Kaj Forsblom.

Forsblom says that noticing an artist—irritating or pleasant—is inspiration to see more work, not necessarily leading to certain representation.  He wants to familiarize himself with the artist’s process.

“I also want to see where the work is coming from and where it is going. This can take time. Also we discuss artists in the gallery and we have to all be ready to stand behind the artist and his or her work before we take them on,” he says. “We might include the work of some young interesting artist in a group show to get a feel for how their work fits in our space and what it feels like to live with for a period of time.”

One of the most striking artists represented by the gallery is Stefan Balkenhol. He often works, painting on carved wood (poplar or Wawa). Sometimes the pieces are statues and others are three dimensional paintings.

“We had seen pieces by Stefan off and on and then saw a big retrospective of his work at the Kueppersmuehle Museum in Duisburg, Germany,” says Forsblom.

Forsblom visited Balkenhol’s studio and wound up booking the artist’s first exhibition in Helsinki. Subsequently they have exhibited Balkenhol’s work regularly.

Why does Balkenhol’s work stand out?

“Stefan's work is incredibly human and touching and speaks about ordinary people. The work is superb bringing out the warmth of his material - wood of different kinds while leaving a magnificent rough texture. Balkenhol is a great draughtsman and that comes through in his works.” says Forsblom.

Balkenhol is, of course, not the only artist being shown by Galerie Forsblom. Others include: Jason Martin, Bernar Venet, Joel Shapiro, Chantal Joffe, and Tony Oursler.

“And two interesting young artists, Secundino Hernandez and Adam Saks. We also have two great Finnish artists HC Berg and Jarmo Mäkilä.” says Forsblom.

Anyone who regularly reads Mapanare.us will recall a few pieces on Hernandez and Oursler.

“Our team at Expo Chicago includes my son Frej Forsblom, who directs the gallery with me. Karl Heinz Horbert, our German associate director as well as Exhibition Coordinator Kiira Miesmaa.” says Forsblom.

If you are visiting Expo Chicago (September 20-23, 2013) be sure to stop by stand 317 and visit Galerie Forsblom.