You Are Forgiven

New Jersey based artist Matt Leines has a new book out now from Philadelphia's Free News Projects. You Are Forgiven features over 100 of his unique drawings from the past seven years. It can be ordered directly from Free News Projects or on Amazon.



Cantab Publishing also has this great little zine available by Matt. I picked one up from Philadelphia's Space 1026 when they had a show at this year's Version Fest in Chicago. It's well worth the six bucks.

Swindle magazine has an article on Matt from when he did this cover illustration for them.

It included this artwork as well...




You can see even more of his work at his show links at Clementine and Roberts & Tilton galleries.

Laurentino Style

I don't know who this is or anything about him. All I can say is wow. This is a photograph by Brazilian photographer Renato Reis.

Day of the Dead show

The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago has the opening for their annual Day of the Dead show on Friday, September 26th. 2008. If you haven't seen their building since they renovated a few years back this is a good time to go.

The reception is free and goes from 6 to 8:30 pm. The museum is free every day and the show goes on 'till December 14th.

The National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 W 19th St.
Chicago, IL

This weekend is also the kickoff for the 38th Annual Pilsen East Artist's Open House. Centered around the intersection of 18th. and Halsted St. the open house lets you check out the unique studios, apartments, and gardens renovated over the years by the Podmajersky family.

My favorite gallery in the Podmajersky buildings is Marilyn Houlberg's space at 731 W 18th St (garden entrance). Marilyn is a specialist in Haitian and Voodoo art and taught for many years at the School of the Art Institute. There's a lot of great folk art, altars, and more to check out in her space.

Here's the schedule for this weekend:
Opening Night Event
Friday, 9/26 - 6 pm to 10pm
Open Studios and Garden
Saturday, 9/27 - 12 noon to 7 pm
Open Studios and Garden
Sunday, 9/28 - 12 noon to 7 pm

The Curated Show, CS:38
2003 S. Halsted
Opening Reception
Friday 9/26 - 6pm to 10 pm

Exquisite Corpse show at Oh No! Doom

Click on the image for a list of artists and other info.

I'm looking forward to We Need Each Other, an exquisite corpse show opening from 6-10 pm, Saturday, October 11, 2008 at Chicago's Oh No! Doom Gallery. The huge collaborative piece they're going to display will consist of 80 1 x 1 foot artworks all connected to each other in a grid 16 feet long by 5 feet high. There'll also be a separate display of work by 20 other artists.

Oh No! Doom
2955 W. Lyndale
Chicago, IL

DALEK/James Marshall and more this weekend

James Marshall aka DALEK will have an opening tonight entitled Temporal Encroachment at Chicago's Phaiz, 673 N. Milwaukee Ave. The show is from 7 to 10 pm and runs through Sun. October 12th.




A show called Six More Miles is opening up the street from 6-9 pm tonight at Roots and Culture, 1034 N. Milwaukee Ave.

There's a group show at Tony Fitzpatrick's Big Cat Press featuring work by Julie Murphy, Dmitry Samarov, and Steve Griff opening tonight from 7 to 11 pm. Big Cat Press is at 2124 N. Damen Ave in Bucktown.




And on Saturday night, September 20th, Christopher Hiltz will have a photography show called Whenever Ago opening from 6 to 10 pm at the illustrious Believe Inn at 2043 N. Winchester. Christopher will also have 100 framed photographs hidden throughout the surrounding Bucktown neighborhood which will be free for the taking.

Beautiful Losers movie

Beautiful Losers is opening tonight at the Gene Siskel Film Center on State and Randolph in Chicago and playing through September 25th. The documentary is based on Aaron Rose's Lower East Side space, Alleged Gallery, and the artists who showed with him during its 10 year existence in the 1990's.


Featuring a group of my favorite artists including Twist/Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, Chris Johanson, Jo Jackson, and ESPO/Steve Powers, the film's title is based on a traveling art show that toured the U.S. and Europe a few years ago. You can check out the catalog and info here.

Kid Robot Pirate Store in Chicago

Kid Robot is opening a temporary shop in Wicker Park's Flat Iron Building on Saturday, October 4th, 2008. They'll be at 1573 N. Milwaukee Ave through December. Chicago's Rotofugi carries a lot of their toys and the Museum of Contemporary Art's gift shop showcases some of their clothing but it'll be nice to see what new things will pop up at the Chicago Kid Robot shop. They'll be having toy signings as well.

I liked this shirt I shot at their New York shop last year. It was based on their Yummy Donut key chains that I got my little cousins hooked on.


Kid Robot also puts out numerous other dope toy lines like Frank Kozic's Smorkin' Labbits and their prolific Dunny series.

Chicago art openings

There's a bunch of good shows opening tonight including...

Wax Burner at A.Okay Official in Lakeview, a group show at 32nd & Urban at 3200 S. Halsted in Bridgeport, a huge Lee Godie retrospective at Intuit www.art.org , and a toy release and art show by Mark Landwehr of Coarsetoys at Rotofugi in Ukrainian Village www.rotofugi.com. 

Lee Godie used to sit on Michigan Ave from the late 60's to the 80's selling her "French Impressionist" paintings and drawings.  I remember her sitting across from the old Water Tower in the 80's.  She also used to draw on b/w photobooth pictures of herself. 

 There's also a free concert called Kittypalooza at the Double Door that will support Tree House, a no-kill cat shelter here in Chicago.  That starts at 8:30 pm and runs 'till 1 am or so.