Designer Toys, Art & Pop Culture
Playlist
New Works by David "Netherland" van Alphen
June 13-July 12, 2020
While we will be open for viewing on Saturday the 13th, 10am-6pm, we will not be holding an opening reception so make sure to sign up for our gallery previews email list at http://previews.rotofugi.com for first notice when works are available to purchase.
Hope and Love in Times of Darkness.
New Works by Egoproof
May 16-June 7, 2020
Online Exhibit Launch
Saturday, May 16, 10am Central Time
gallery.rotofugi.com
Late last year I started noticing some interesting images show up in my social media feeds. The striking images showed what looked like advertising posters and wheat-pasted signs, usually with a positive message, featuring simple white on red or red on white text.
It turned out to be a new project by some old friends of Rotofugi. Rather than spoil their secret fun, let's just say that they are currently based in Spain and are known to move around quite a bit.
This month we're featuring a new exhibit of prints by these old friends and their new project, Egoproof. In a world that feels increasingly divided and chaotic, Egoproof is spreading a message of love, hope and positivity — and we all need those things today more than ever.
A portion of the exhibit will benefit Hope For The Day®, a Chicago-based non-profit empowering the conversation on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. Through action, education, and outreach they aim to lead the global conversation on proactive prevention in order to create a cultural shift on how mental health is treated in our communities. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we're excited to be partnering with HFTD to amplify their important message, even a little bit.
Join us at http://gallery.rotofugi.com on Saturday, May 16 at 10am Central Time to view and order prints.
Sign up at http://previews.rotofugi.com for a reminder email.
Note: Our gallery in Chicago is closed to the public through May 31, 2020 by order of the governor of Illinois, and currently plans are for this exhibit to remain online only, though we've been known to change our minds! Stay safe.
EDIT: We are now out of both items from this promotion. We might do it again though in the next few weeks, stay tuned!
Thanks to our friends at coarse, for a limited time you can get either a Pun Pun & Shoot or Ruffle & Toast (Lights Out edition) 4-inch mini figure free (value US $24) with your $60 order at rotofugi.com, while supplies last!
Just add $60 or more worth of stuff to your cart and you'll be able to choose your free Pun Pun or Ruffle when checking out.
These adorable glow in the dark mini figures by coarse x Playhouse are also available to purchase at $24 each here.
Creature Lab
New Works by Eli Libson
April 18-May 10, 2020
Online Exhibit Launch
Saturday, April 18, 10am Central Time
As the need to be closed to the public continues we find ourselves doing things just a little differently. This coming Saturday, April 18th, we'll be launching a new exhibit...but entirely online (at least for now, more on that below).
For the last few years we've been selling some wonderful prints at our Chicago location by Minnesota-based artist Eli Libson. Drawn from his "Mysterious Creatures Field Guide," these prints are a colorful explosion of fantasy beasts rendered in a careful scientific illustration style. Eli was part of a small group exhibit of ours last summer with some wonderful pop culture paintings, but we've been wanting to visit his creature work more fully.
Fast forward to this month and we're quickly approaching a full exhibit of works from this series including several new larger paintings. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 precautions, we won't be having a traditional exhibit, but the show goes on, virtually!
Join us at http://gallery.rotofugi.com on Saturday, April 18 at 10am Central Time to view the new works!
Sign up at http://previews.rotofugi.com for a reminder email.
Note: Our gallery in Chicago is closed to the public through April 30, 2020 by order of the governor of Illinois. While we expect that to be extended we are currently planning to hang this exhibit for in-person viewing if we are able to re-open on May 1. As such, works from this exhibit will be available for shipping either after the date the exhibit ends (May 10) or perhaps a little sooner if the shutdown is extended and we know for certain that we can't hang the exhibit for public viewing.
For about the last decade there’s been a movement to support small retailers as shopping has moved online and to mega-businesses like Amazon, but now we face an even bigger hurdle to our survival: being “non-essential.”
I firmly support the closure of our store to the public during this time. The survival of our business is NOT more important than the health of even one person, but being “non-essential” during a pandemic doesn’t mean we aren’t essential to the communities we serve day in and day out.
I’m proposing, for the time being, that Saturdays will be “Non-Essential Saturdays” … it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but you get what I mean.
This Saturday, and every one until stores can re-open (however long that may be) give some love to the small “non-essential” retailers in your town that you’d be lost without and maybe, just maybe, they’ll still be there when the dust settles.
In short, please support the stores that are essential to YOU.
How do you support a business that is closed? It’s a fair question. Many of us operate both a physical retail location and an online store. But if the store you’d like to support doesn’t have online shopping, check their website or social media and see if they’re selling gift certificates or taking donations…or pick up the phone or write an email and see if you can help.
It’s not a perfect solution, but if YOU support the things you love, it will make a difference. Thank you.
Kirby Kerr
Owner/Gallery Director
Rotofugi
Chicago
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Thanks to Eric Nakamura at Giant Robot for his Facebook post that provided the seed of this idea. Eric’s store in Los Angeles, like ours in Chicago, is currently closed to the public but continues to sell online.
PLEASE SHARE, and if you or anyone you know can help amplify this message we would appreciate it!
The Non-Essential Saturday graphic and slogan, “Please support the stores that are essential to you,” are shared with a CC0 License. You are free to use these elements to promote your business with no restrictions. Good luck and stay safe!