Category: art opening or closing

  • 5-/12-6/26 Chicago Sign & Symbols / Exhibition & Zine Release

    Chicago Sign & Symbols Issue 3 release party: Friday. 5/15, 6:30-8 pm
    Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave, Chicago

    Chicago Sign & Symbols: Featuring the work of Lisa Glenn Armstrong and Atlan Arceo-Witzl
    Exhibition runs through June 26, daily 12-6

    Join us Friday 5/15 for the release of Chicago Signs and Symbols Volume 3 featuring an interview with Quimby’s alumni Echo Elise González and works submitted by Nick Marzullo, Lya Finston, Maddie Vaccaro, Scott McGaughey and printing by Raeann Van Zee of Bovine Press.

    In this exhibition Lisa Glenn Armstrong and Atlan Arceo-Witzl of the zine Chicago Signs and Symbols bring together protest posters, publications, signage reference books, and community workshop outcomes from an event held at Hoofprint back in December.

    Chicago Signs and Symbols is a collaborative zine project made under the model of DIT (do-it-together) that uses Chicago’s unique signs to explore the cultural indicators of our social realities and what can be understood about Chicago’s past, present, and future through semiotics.

    Lisa Glenn Armstrong is a Chicago-based designer, musician, and educator whose work explores the shifting boundaries between emergent technologies and traditional print processes, treating both as living systems rather than fixed tools. Collaboration is central to her approach, building frameworks that prioritize collective authorship, shared inquiry, and community engagement. Her work often unfolds as an open-ended process, where outcomes are shaped through participation.

    Atlan Arceo-Witzl is a Mexican-American visual artist, creator, and educator based in Chicago. He is driven by a foundational urge to draw, working to redefine midwestern identity and place as a hybrid ancient-contemporary-nowness. Being a second generation printmaker and a third generation educator influences his use of graphic forms in the relief print tradition while also instigating a curiosity in print process and ephemera. He is intrigued by everyday rituals, icons, symbols, totemic objects, communication, and translation.

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    Pay what you can afford in person or via Venmo.
    Suggested: $10
    Venmo: @quimbysbookstore
    Please include “Sign and Symbols” in the note!

    Your generous donation directly supports artist honorariums and ensures the continuation of this program. We are so grateful for your support of local creators, Quimby’s Bookstore, and DIY culture—we truly couldn’t do it without you!

    Your generous donation directly supports artist honorariums and ensures the continuation of this program. We are so grateful for your support of local authors, publishers, creators, Quimby’s Bookstore, and DIY culture—we truly couldn’t do it without you!

  • 3/12-5/1 Mac Blackout / Street Dreams & Towering Seers

    Mac Blackout: Street Dreams and Towering Seers
    Opening Reception: Saturday March 21st, 5-7 pm
    Show runs: March 12th to May 1st, daily 12-6 pm
    Featuring Mac Blackout

    Quimby’s Bookstore is honored to exhibit Chicago artist Mac Blackout’s next solo show of 10 new paintings and and past favorites.

    Quimby’s Ink – our new publishing division – is also super excited to publish our first Print “Fifteen Faces”  to correspond with the exhibition. This three color offset print is a collab between Mac and Quimby’s partner Eric “Manny” Von Haynes. 11×17, 3-Color Offset Print, Edition of 80, Signed and Numbered.

    All new work is for sale! Prints $20, Paintings $300, Drawings $400,
    Contact Peter Miles at Quimby’s to inquire.

    2026 / Mac Blackout / 15 Faces / 11×17 3-color offset print / $20
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 1 / 12×12 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 2 / 11×14 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 3 / 11×14 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 4 / 12×12 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 5 / 12×12 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 6 / 11×14 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 7 / 11×14 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 8 / 12×12 pen and ink on paper / $300
    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 9 / 12×12 pen and ink on paper / $300

     

     

    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face painting 10 / 11×14 pen and ink on paper / $300

     

    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face drawing 1 / 9×9 pen and ink on paper / $400

     

    2026 / Mac Blackout / Many Face drawing 2 / 9×12 pen and ink on paper / $400

     

    Mac Blackout (born Mark Dunihue McKenzie on June 17, 1977) is an American visual artist and musician based in Chicago.

    Mac was born in Bedford, Indiana, later attending college at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana where he graduated with a BFA in 1999. During his high school and college years he became a well known street artist in the midwest underground. In 1999 he moved to Chicago, Illinois channeling his creative energies into music and the music related art of posters and album covers. From 2000 to present day he has formed several bands releasing more than 10 full length albums as well as a slew of singles. He continues to create music with multiple avant-garde and improvisational musicians and recently released “Revelation On The Beach”, his first solo album in five years on Torn Light/Fire Love Records. Mac is currently a muralist and multimedia artist creating large scale public works with a studio focus in painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media art.

     

  • 2/21 Show & Tell: Dorian Sylvain | Artist Talk 6:30 pm

    Saturday, February 21, 6:30-8 pm
    Featuring Dorian Sylvain

    Quimby’s is excited to host acclaimed painter, muralist, educator, and cultural organizer Dorian Sylvain for a special Show & Tell session focused on her artistic practice and the book that accompanies her exhibition, Raised In It!

    During this conversation, Sylvain will discuss her diverse work in murals, scenic design, mixed media, and education, as well as her ongoing dedication to collaboration, community empowerment, and the preservation of cultural memory. She will discuss the creative process behind Raised In It!, her solo exhibition and the related publication, which includes essays, archival materials, and reflections on lineage, mentorship, and creative resistance.

    Hear directly from Sylvain about how her work integrates storytelling, public art, and intergenerational knowledge into her community-focused practices. Her approach considers history as an ongoing influence that actively shapes the present. This Show & Tell explores how art serves as a remembrance, a site of resistance, and a collective imagination.

    Register for the event

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    Pay what you can afford in person or via Venmo.


    Suggested: $10
    Venmo: @quimbysbookstore
    Please include “Raised In It!” in the note!

    Your generous donation directly supports artist honoraria and helps ensure the program’s continued success. We are so grateful for your support of local creators, Quimby’s Bookstore, and DIY culture—we truly couldn’t do it without you!

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    Quimby’s Bookstore
    Books Zines Comics
    ~ ~ Since 1991 ~ ~
    1854 W. North Ch-IL
    Open every day 12-6

  • 2/8 Closing Reception Blonde Bombastic by Frankie Lyne

    Closing Reception
    Blonde Bombastic by Frankie Lyne
    Sunday, February 8th, 2026 – 5:00-7:00 PM

    in-person at Quimby’s Bookstore 1854 W. North Ave Chicago, IL 60622

    Blonde Bombastic features the work of Frankie Lyne [ they/them ] centered around Marie a 50’s does 70’s heroine who’s incredible outfits, glamorous looks, and bad news boyfriend Simon keep her just ahead of the dire consequences of her full on sex-and-drugs rock and roll lifestyle.

    Featuring a full wall of plush cheetah print, blow ups of the original art, process work, Risograph prints, and bejeweled safety pin bound risograph zines, Blonde Bombastic will be closing with a reception and celebration of Frankie’s work on Sunday February 8th.

    Frankie Lyne [ they/them ] is a recent School of the Art Institute Chicago graduate, comics creator, and musician. Their comics and zines include Supercvnt, Simon and Marie, Death of Marie, Devout, Vive La Vie MoonStride, Alter Ego, and Starr Ramone.

    Frankie sells comics and zines at Quimby’s Bookstore, Chicago Comics, and Howling Pages. They are also published in SAIC’s Mouth Magazine and have run Starr Ramone in F News since 2021.

  • 11/22 Show & Tell: Conor Stechschulte

     

    Quimby’s Show & Tell
    with Conor Stechschulte
    Saturday, November 22, 2025 – 6:30 PM
    in-person at Quimby’s Bookstore 1854 W. North Ave Chicago, IL 60622

    Join Conor Stechschulte for a show of original art and a conversation about the process and thinking behind his new comic, “Crepusculine 2.”

    Conor Stechschulte is an Eisner-Nominated cartoonist, artist, screenwriter and educator. He is the author of the graphic novels The Amateurs and Ultrasound. His work has been translated into five languages and adapted for film. He teaches classes in comics, printmaking, and self-publishing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

    Register for the event!
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    Pay what you can afford. Suggested $10+
    Venmo or PayPal (Please include “Show & Tell” in the note) or make a Credit Card or Cash donation in person at the register the night of the event!

    Your generous donation directly supports artist honorariums and ensures the continuation of this program. We are so grateful for your support of local creators, Quimby’s Bookstore, and DIY culture—we truly couldn’t do it without you!

    By registering for this event, you’ll be added to Quimby’s newsletter to receive updates on upcoming events, new releases, and zine news. You can unsubscribe at any time.

     

  • New Online Literary Journal, Goreyesque, Seeking Submissions

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    Columbia College Chicago’s Department of Creative Writing is launching a new online literary journal, Goreyesque (www.goreyesque.com), now open for submissions. (And no, you don’t have to be a student at Columbia to submit your work).

    Both an homage and showcase of contemporary artists and storytellers inspired by Edward Gorey’s lasting influence across genres, Goreyesque seeks works that are darkly humorous, surreal, playful, and anything in between. Short stories, essays, poems, illustrations, video/animation and other forms of art all welcome. Original work preferred but reprints that fit the project’s scope also appreciated (see submission guidelines). Work can be sent to: goreysubmissions(at)gmail(dot)com.

    The launch of Goreyesque coincides with the Chicago debut of Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey and G is for Gorey—C is for Chicago: The Collection of Thomas Michalak, at the Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), Feb. 15 – Jun. 15. While Elegant Enigmas has traveled the country since 2009, the companion exhibition G is for Gorey provides an even closer in-depth look at Gorey’s legacy, including his illustrations for book jackets and magazine articles, and his life and work on Cape Cod.

    Gorey’s artwork returns to his home town for the first time with this special exhibition and reading/performance showcase, so writers and artists should be sure to send Gorey-inspired work soon! All works submitted before Apr. 14 will be considered for a public reading and showcase at LUMA’s gallery space in Chicago on Apr. 29. Top 5 submissions will also receive the exhibition catalogue Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey.

    Special guest judges for the reading: Sam Weller, author of The Bradbury Chronicles, and Mort Castle, author of Bram Stoker award-winning New Moon on the Water. Both served as co-editors of Stoker award-winning Shadow Show: All New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury.

    For more info, contact Todd Summar at goreysubmissions@gmail.com

  • Off-Site: Quimby's Co-sponsors the EX. MONEY. RACE. GENDER Ladydrawers Exhibition

    QuimbysChiCom_ad
    Quimby’s Bookstore (and our sister store, Chicago Comics) are proud to be a sponsor of the Ladydrawers Comics Collective exhibition entitled SEX. MONEY. RACE. GENDER, curated by Anne Elizabeth Moore, at Columbia College Chicago’s A+D Gallery, opening June 27th.  S.M.R.G. will also feature a series of workshops that explores hot button topics with everything from site-specific murals to performance to empirical conversations to yes, comics.
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    Beginning with the opening night spectacle, the gallery (Columbia’s A+D Gallery, not Quimby’s) will be activated through fun, radicalthinking, and art making, a space to observe and reflect on ideas of SEX, MONEY, RACE, and GENDER.  Instead of creating a catalog for the show, Quimby’s is proud to co-sponsor a comics anthology including work by Robyn Chapman, Danielle Chenette, Clay Harris, Lyra Hill, MariNaomi, Corinne Mucha, Laura Szumowski, Lauren Weinstein.

    SEX. MONEY. RACE. GENDER.  The Ladydrawers (of Chicago, IL)

    Exhibition & Workshop Schedule

     

    Opening Reception: June 27, 5:00-8:00 p.m.

    Exhibit closes on July 27th

    Curated by Anne Elizabeth Moore

    S.M.R.G OPENING NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA!

    Featuring comedy, art making, readings, performance, and much more. Come explore issues of SEX, MONEY, RACE, and GENDER with a sprinkling of humor and pathos through stand up comedy, femcore anthems, live mural making, and interpretations of texts, personal readings (in the bathroom!), and even hula hooping. Join us, won’t you?

    Opening Night Performers

    Sarah Bell, Blizzard Babies, Gretchen Hasse, Lyra Hill, Elliott Junkyard, Francis Kang, Ever Mainard, Carolina Mayorga, Katie McVay, Yasmin Nair, Polly Yates

    Exhibition Participants

    Nicole Boyett, Jacinta Bunnel, Danielle Chenette, Gretchen Hasse, Elliott Junkyard, Francis Kang, Carolina Mayorga, Melissa Gira Grant, Lyra Hill, Franny Howes, Nia King, Viet Le, Nicole Marroquin, Anne Elizabeth Moore, Sarah Morton, Liz Rush, Rachel Swanson, Laura Szumowski, Bonsovathary Uoeung, Lauren Weinstein, Sarah Welch, Elizabeth White, Mara Williams, Polly Yates

    S.M.R.G Workshops

    These workshops are collaborative and exploratory projects lead by outstanding cultural producers and thinkers—all amazing, smart people that you will like very much.

    Radical Noticing: Riot Grrrl Press and Contemporary Comics

    May Summer Farnsworth and Jamie Davida Lee

    Saturday, June 29, 2013 2:00-4:00 p.m.

    May Summer Farnsworth will discuss her experiences working on the formation of Riot Grrrl Press in 1993. Cartoonist Jamie Davida Lee will simultaneously lead a silent workshop on making comics and zines.

    Lexicon of Sexicana

    Esther Pearl Watson and Terri Kapsalis

    Thursday, July 11, 2013, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

    Speech balloons! Giant boons! Big muscles! The hundred-year-old lexicon of comics was developed by its most prominent practitioners, mostly straight white dudes. It’s time to re-think the language of comics. Esther Pearl Watson and Terri Kapsalis will create a work exploring sexual health based on Mort Walker’s satirical look at comics devices for cartoonists, The Lexicon of Comicana.

    Life and Labor

    Delia Jean Hickey and Sarah Jaffe

    Thursday, July 18, 2013, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

    We all know what it means to work, but what extra effort do certain forms of labor extract from us? This workshop explores what it takes to make an honest living, with a particular focus on the service industry.

    Boi Band Poser Poster Workshop

    Viet Le and Morgan Claire

    Thursday, July 25, 2013, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

    This workshop challenges identities and identifications through pop and props. Thinking through gender, race, and (inner and outer) space, participants will form and “perform” their own pop bands and solo acts. Fun FOBulous times!

    Please note: these events are at the A+D Gallery at 619 S. Wabash Ave, Chicago, Il 60605, NOT QUIMBY’S BOOKSTORE.

  • off-site but of interest: Long-Arm Stapler First Aid: OPENING RECEPTION at Spudnik Press Cooperative

    Long-Arm-WEB
    Long-Arm Stapler First Aid: Self-Care In Zines and Mini Comics

    Curated by Liz Mason and Neil Brideau
    4/20/13 – 5/31/13
     
    Opening Reception: April 20, 2013 6:00 – 9:00pm
    The Annex @ Spudnik Press Cooperative,     1821 W Hubbard, Suite 303, Chicago, IL
    (NOT at Quimby’s)
    Whether we’re soothing, grooming or creating major life changes, we’re always involved in some sort of self-care, no matter how big or trivial. Drinking coffee, petting animals, getting stuff off our chests, confronting personal and societal demons, we are perpetually creating a space for our own personal world to exist healthfully in the bigger world. Indeed, the personal is social.
    Instead of relying on professional services, one can create change using a DIY mentality, often with the help of some sort of reference. At their core, the pieces in this group show suggest we must be our own proponents for health and well-being.
    The exhibit “Long-Arm Stapler First Aid” features pieces by a variety of zinesters and comics artists. The pieces discuss and/or illustrate self-care topics that both help themselves and inspire the reader to be their own advocate in self-improvement. In honor of self-publishing as a means to foster well-being, Spudnik Press is proud to host this exhibition featuring dozens of zine makers from across the country, including Edie Fake, Rinko Endo, Kathleen McIntyre, Ramsey Beyer, Liz Prince, Dina Kelberman, Sara McHenry, Maris Wicks, Beth Barnett, Nate Beaty, Raleigh Briggs, Danielle Chenette, Emilja Frances, Turtel Onli, Trubble Club, Caroline Paquita, Sarah McNeil, Milo Miller, Corinne Mucha, Kitari Sporrong, Missy Kulik, Cathy Leamy, Erick Lyle and more.
    Long Arm Stapler First Aid will also include a limited edition exhibition zine, compiled by Liz Mason, encompassing relevant self-care themes in zines and mini-comics such as: healing, grief, fitness, and medical issues. The exhibit will also feature a limited edition screenprint by Ramsey Beyer, published by Spudnik Press.
     
    This show brings together an assortment of zines and comics that address health-related issues ranging from mental to physical, personal to societal, and preventative to regenerative, including such specifics as grooming, food preparation, self-defense, coping strategies, defense mechanisms, mental or spiritual development and even soul enrichment. These largely self-published works address, at times, incredibly personal experiences, usually with a large dose of wit.
    Unlike a film or a painting, readers of zines and comics are able to engage with these works at their own pace, choosing when they are ready to confront the next page. Perhaps this is what allows authors to broach difficult, and often very personal, topics with great breadth of emotion, honesty, and clarity. Through the combination of words and images, artists are able to rely on multiple modes of communication to bring together the tangible and the cerebral.
    Why the long-arm stapler? It’s the symbol of home-stapled periodicals, the best kind of stapler to use for getting to the center of the page that a normal stapler can’t reach. And the very act of making a zine and mini comic (and reading) is considered a therapeutic caring action.
    Long live (and maintain, groom and sooth) the long-arm stapler!
    About the curators:
    Liz Masonis the manager of Quimby’s Bookstore, known for selling a variety of self-published works, as well as the editor and publisher for the zine Caboose.

    Neil Brideau is comics artist and comics sommelier at Quimby’s Bookstore, as well as an organizer of CAKE, Chicago’s Alternative Comics Expo.

    *Image Credit to Dina Kelbermann