Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago's New Chicago Comics exhibit (mentioned previously), which features Jeffrey Brown, Lilli Carré, Paul Hornschemeier, and Anders Nilsen, opens to the public on January 8 with a special fancy-pants preview on Friday January 7, 6-10 PM. Advance tickets to the preview event are available here. See what Paul has to say about it here.
We'd like to thank the big crowd that braved a biblical deluge to attend the fabulous fourth anniversary at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Seattle on Saturday. Thanks to our talented musician friends Mark Pickerel and Zak Sally — who escaped a biblical blizzard in Minneapolis to appear. Kudos also to Jason T. Miles and Max Clotfelter for organizing the amazing "Medieval Thinkers" art exhibition. Another magical evening at Fantagraphics Bookstore!
(Zak Sally)
If you weren't able to make it, be sure to drop by the store to see the art show, peruse hand crafted publications by exhibiting artists, check out amazing new releases from Zak Sally's La Mano 21 imprint, and wonderful new offerings from Fantagraphics books, natch.
(Jim Woodring)
The store is open every day 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. We have delightful and affordable gifts to suit just about any taste. Ask our friendly staff for suggestions. See you all soon.
[Photos by "Medieval Thinkers" contributor Matt Tamaru — see more on his Flickr page. – Ed.]
Ray Fenwick will be in attendance at a launch/exhibit/signing party for his new book Mascots at the 84 1/2 gallery in Winnipeg on Thursday, December 23, 7:00 PM-11:00 PM. Do go... Winnipeggers? Winnipegians? Winnipegites? ...Manitobans!
These Giant Robot Post-It Shows are always drool-enducing, but this year's show enduces an even bigger slobbery accumulation because it's curated by the great Esther Pearl Watson, and her equally-rad spouse Mark Todd.
If you've somehow missed Post-It Shows 1 through 5, basically these shows collect tiny 3X3" masterpieces on a Post-It note from an array of awesome artists. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and cash-and-carry, so hit the ATM on the way to GR2, and maybe bring some cardboard to sandwich your Post-It, if you're fussy about those kinds of things. (I am.) Oh, and did I mention that each Post-It is only $20 BUCKS??? 'Cause, yeah.
Here's a sneak peek at some of the post-its from our fine artists:
[ clockwise from the top left: Jon Vermilyea, Andrice Arp, Lilli Carre, and Jeremy Tinder ]
Post-It Show 6 at GR2 (2062 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025) runs from December 11 - January 12, 2011, with an opening reception featuring many of the artists taking place from 6:30 - 10:00 pm this Saturday, December 11. I mentioned each Post-It was only $20 right? You're welcome.
If you happen to find yourself in Seattle this Saturday December 11th then truly find yourself at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery 4th Anniversary Party , to study Justin Green's contribution to the Medieval Thinkers portion of the event. Justin illuminated the piece below especially for the show and having had the opportunity to work with such a titan of ink and ideas is a dream come true for me. If this is your first time encountering Justin's work than I heartily recommend you track down a copy of Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary and Sacred & Profane as both truly rank amongst the rare masterpieces of comic art.
"The piece was a convergence of many factors, not the least of which was a dream. It was about a new 'green' industry that used many thicknesses of recycled corrugated cardboard to prop up young saplings prior to laying in a foundation."
Chicago is a city with a rich comics tradition and next month the city's Museum of Contemporary Art celebrates four current innovators in the medium with a can't-miss gallery exhibit titled New Chicago Comics:
"For the month of January, the MCA presents an exhibition of the work of four young, Chicago-based cartoonists and animators: Jeffrey Brown, Lilli Carré, Paul Hornschemeier, and Anders Nilsen. In their own unique styles each of these artists expands and challenges the conventions of a visual art form for which Chicago continues to be renowned: the comic book."
Seems like the Crumbs aren't the only family of talented alternative cartoonists. Jim and Mary Woodring, together with their son Max, all have pieces in the Friends of the Nib "Medieval Thinkers" exhibition at Fantagraphics Bookstore this Saturday, December 11 — part of the store's festive fourth anniversary celebration.
Of course the Deitch family - father Gene and siblings Simon and Kim — qualify as well. We're thrilled to include an original drawing by Kim Deitch in the exhibition. In addition, the event will mark the debut of the Kim Deitch File, a portfolio published on Zak Sally's La Mano 21 imprint. See you all this Saturday.
The Printed Matter 9 art show is on now at GRSF! Steven Weissman's in it (he's got the announcement on his blog) along with some of our other favorite folks! We/you missed the opening but it's on through Jan. 12.
Norman Pettingill is the subject of a newly-opened art exhibit in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. From the announcement, as reported by NewsoftheNorth.Net: "Forty Pettingill drawings, now part of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center collection in Sheboygan, are on display or the first time in 15 years and will remain so until Jan. 16. More than 100 drawings from this renowned collection are featured in Norman Pettingill: Backwoods Humorist, a new hardcover book published by Fantagraphics." (Note that the JMKAC website seems to be down at press time.)
