From left: William Cordova, Dominic Molon, Dina Deitsch, Evan J. Garza at the Art Chicago | NEXT Talk Shop

We were thrilled to participate yesterday in CONVERGE Chicago: Contemporary Curators Forum at the Art Chicago | NEXT Talk Shop. New American Paintings Editor-at-Large, Evan J. Garza was the moderator for "Beyond the Stretcher: Breaking Down Spatial Limitations in Contemporary Painting," a panel discussion featuring Dina Deitsch, Associate Curator at the deCordova Sculpture Park + Museum, Dominic Molon, Chief Curator for the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (and the juror for NAP edition #85), and New York, Miami, and Lima-based artist and curator, William Cordova.

A packed crowd gathered to take in the discussion as throngs of collectors and fair-goers passed up and down the aisles of booths at NEXT. The curators discussed issues of material specificity and spatial concerns in contemporary painting practices, and examined the work of cutting edge artists whose work ignites a dialogue about sculptural and installation forms of painting. The event and conversation were great, and the company we were in was even better. Check out our pics after the jump!