Wendy White’s installation of two paintings, 68 Catherine and R6, appeared in the Andrew Rafacz Gallery booth at Expo Chicago 2012.

Expo Chicago: The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art returns to Navy Pier September 19–22, and the 2013 participating galleries were announced yesterday. Let's do the numbers:

• 120 galleries—one-third of which are exhibiting at Expo Chicago for the first time—will participate, representing 34 cities and 16 countries (Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and the U.S.) 
• 18 Chicago galleries are among them, 4 of which are new to Expo: moniquemeloche, Carrie Secrist, R.S. Johnson Fine Art and Zolla/Lieberman. (Last year featured 12 locals.)
• 18 galleries will exhibit in the EXPOSURE section (reserved for those that have been in operation for seven years or fewer), and 10 are participating in Expo Chicago for the first time.
• Galleries were selected by 4 committee members: Rhona Hoffman (Rhona Hoffman, Chicago), Michael Kohn (Michael Kohn, Los Angeles), Anthony Meier (Anthony Meier Fine Arts, New York) and Chris D’Amelio (David Zwirner; London, New York).
  
• 27,000 visitors attended the inaugual Expo Chicago in 2012, and 3,000 attended the opening-night preview, Vernissage.
• I enjoyed 17 free cocktails and 13 sliders at Vernissage. (JK)

Stay tuned for more Expo info and a countless number of enthusiastic quotes by president and director Tony Karman.

Eduardo Zuñiga of Luna Negra Dance Theater in rehearsal for CARMEN.maquia

Photo: Alberto March

It was announced yesterday that Luna Negra Dance Theater is ceasing operations "due to financial constraints." Established in 1999 by Cuban-born dancer and choreographer Eduardo Vilaro, the Latino-focused company was one of the boldest and most artistically exciting contemporary dance ensembles in Chicago, even more so when Gustavo Ramirez Sansano came onboard as artistic director in 2010 (following Vilaro's departure). We remember being mesmerized by the Picasso-inspired Carmen.maquia—all the athletic, emotive movement—among his other brave choreographic feats. 

Navy Pier Ferris wheel

Lots of completely unnecessary Guinness World Records have been set by Chicagoans or in Chicago. On Friday, Clinton Shepherd hopes to set another. The 32-year-old South Sider will board the Navy Pier Ferris wheel at 2:30pm. If all goes according to plan, the Pier Park operations manager will ride the wheel in the sky and keep on turning continuously (save for five-minute breaks every hour) until Sunday at 2:30pm. The 48 hours spent onboard would shatter the time for Longest Marathon on a Fairground/Theme Attraction, which the Guinness Book of World Records' website says is 25 hours (though there is a Canadian claim on a 30-hour record). Of course, all of this would be a more impressive test of stamina were the ride Raging Bull at Six Flags instead of the Pier's sluggish Ferris wheel. But over the phone this afternoon, Shepherd said slow-jamming his way to a record has its own set of challenges.

Is your life one big training montage right now? Yeah, I'm trying to stay up as long as I possibly can. If I do take a nap, it's usually five or ten minutes, because I do get five-minute breaks every hour. So my goal is to stay up four to five hours straight, so if I do need a break, I can save up the time and use it when I need it. I'm also trying to get my body prepared to take care of the proper...bladder issues. Outside of that, it's just a big mind game.

Vampire Weekend

That Lollapalooza lineup is looking better and better. When Phoenix and Vampire Weekend were first announced, my initial thought was, Them again? But damned if the two haven't released my two favorite pop albums of the year. So far. Until next week. Both singers have a way with an exotic place name and take different shots of the upper class. Thomas Mars writes with an extra dry wit. He's French. Ezra Koenig thinks a lot about death amid the Upper West Side. Death creeps into every new Vampire Weekend track. Which is not to say it isn't a blast. Read my album review.