Linework:

Chicago Comics and Community

September 24 – November 21, 2026

Opening Reception: Thursday September 24 | 5:30–7:30 PM

Chicago has long been an important center for comics and graphic storytelling. During the early decades of the twenty-first century, the publication Linework, under the guidance of acclaimed cartoonist, designer, and educator Ivan Brunetti, became a gathering point for many of the most compelling voices in Chicago’s contemporary comics scene. Bringing together emerging and established artists, the publication fostered a moment of creative exchange that helped shape the city’s reputation as a hub for alternative comics.

This exhibition revisits the Linework publication and the artistic community that formed around it, highlighting both the collaborative spirit of the project and the paths its contributors have taken since. Among them is Chicago-based cartoonist Nick Drnaso, whose graphic novel Sabrina became the first graphic novel longlisted for the Booker Prize.

Image: Ivan Brunetti, self-portrait