Gallerists Lucca Colombelli and Winston Guo are the brainpower behind a rising star of Chicago’s art gallery scene—Povos. Since its founding just over four years ago, Povos has expanded from an online gallery to a successful enterprise, footing two physical locations in Chicago and making its art fair debut at Expo Chicago this past spring. “At a time where most galleries mean profit, Povos means people” is like a motto for the gallery. “It reflects our commitment to inclusivity and diversity, aiming to represent a wide range of voices and perspectives in the art community,” says Guo, who previously co-directed downtown space W. Gallery before merging it with Povos. To Colombelli and Guo—both from international backgrounds—the sky’s the limit. Globetrotting to make connections with not only other galleries but also arts foundations and institutions across Asia and Latin America, the duo strives to expand gallery operations beyond the States and solidify Povos as an international player in the next few years. “Aside from the gallery, Winston and I are also beginning an international advisory project with partners in Italy, China and Mexico,” Colombelli says, building another channel through which their artists could reach the world and vice versa. Following the fall group show curated by Guo, Povos will present Mexican filmmaker and artist Leopoldo Gout and Brazilian artist Carolina Pereira through the end of this year before participating in Felix 2025 in Los Angeles. “We are gradually starting to do more and more ambitious projects, and I don’t see that trend ending,” says Colombelli. (Nicky Ni)