Sideshow Gallery is not for the chicken-hearted. When local artist and teacher Anne-Katrin Elliott and Revolution Tattoo owner and curator Cheri Basak “teamed up to rock the Chicago art scene,” as they describe it, they did so by bringing antiques, oddities, and taxidermy classes into the mix. Part art gallery, part curiosity shop, part event space, Sideshow Gallery is not a sideshow at all —instead, it brings together a vibrant community of creative locals who fiercely and unapologetically embrace their weirdness.
Last we checked, the space was featuring a duo art show by Angel Onofre and Adam Augustyn, appropriately titled “Tales of the Chicken Hearted,” existing in the blurred lines between comics, cartoon, and horror movie, for which the shop/gallery is the perfect backdrop. The quirky and friendly monsters of the artwork would blend with the crowd and decor creating a mesmerizing, offbeat energy. In an enchanted forest, the creatures need not be magical to have much the same effect. The atmosphere in Sideshow is just like this. Think sage smudge sticks, candles, jewelry made out of deer skulls, magic potions, and bats in crystal balls. Underground avant-garde art and a variety of workshops/events (taxidermy classes, tarot readings, and bazaars among others,) is Sideshow’s way of making magic, strangeness, eccentricity, and the occult absolutely wonderful.
Photo: Scott Blessman
Photo: Scott Blessman
Photo: Scott Blessman
Angel Onofre + Adam Augustyn, Tales of the Chicken Hearted, Sideshow Gallery