National Cartoonists Society Chapter Offers First Ever Exhibit in September
The Chicago Midwest chapter of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) will host its first ever exhibit of cartoon art by chapter members Sept. 15 through Nov. 3 at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. The exhibit opens with a reception in the Simmerling Gallery, Sun., Sept. 15, 2 to 4 p.m.
The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is the largest organization of professional cartoonists in the USA with over 500 members and 22 chapters across the country. One of the organization’s primary purposes is to stimulate interest in the art of cartooning by encouraging aspiring cartoonists and students and to occasionally provide the general public an inside look at the cartoon work of NCS members.
The NSC chapter members participating in the upcoming exhibit are newspaper comic strip and comic panel artists, caricaturists, magazine gag cartoonists, editorial cartoonists, humorous illustrators, and other professionals working in and around Chicago and surrounding states.
“It’s not often that cartoonists emerge from their studios to reach out to the public, so this is a great opportunity to meet them in person and see their original work up close,” said Beverly/Morgan Park resident Jim McGreal, a member of the NCS Chicago Midwest Chapter and an organizer of the exhibit. “We have members who work in nearly all aspects of comic art and cartooning, and we’re really excited to be a part of this first-ever event.”
McGreal, a cartoonist, illustrator and web designer, drew the comic strips “SIBZ” and “Future Shock” which appeared in The Villager and other publications.
In addition to the exhibit of works of NCS cartoonists in the Simmerling Gallery, an exhibit of works by talented cartooning students from the Vanderpoel Art Association (Chicago) will be on display in the Center’s Atrium Gallery.
Also in conjunction with the art exhibits, the NCS Chicago Midwest Chapter will host a cartooning open house on the weekend following the exhibit opening. It will be held on Sat., Sept. 21, 12 to 6 p.m., at the Beverly Arts Center as a featured event of the 6th annual Beverly Art Walk. The Beverly Arts Center is a trolley stop on the Walk. The open house will feature two workshops led by professional cartoonists demonstrating their cartoon art, and video cartoon presentations with selected artists in the Center’s Baffes Theatre.
For more information about the exhibit, visit www.ncs-chicagocartoonists.com.
