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ABOUT ZACH

Chicago, IL

Zach Bartz (he/him) is a visual artist in Chicago, IL. He frequently draws from his career as an improviser to create colorful critters on upcycled materials. His paintings have been displayed at Chicago staples like Chicago Truborn, All Star Press, the Wndr Museum, Design Museum of Chicago, Jackson Junge Gallery, Elephant Room Gallery, Dark Matter's Star Lounge, You Are Beautiful Gallery, Chicago Diner, iO Theater, Dimo's Pizza, and many more. As a muralist, his work has been seen at The Violet Hour, Cards Against Humanity, The Annoyance Theater, Kite String Cantina, and Cork Lounge. He was a featured artist through the Design Museum of Chicago / DCASE / Chicago Public Health for their Protect Chicago Vaccination campaign, and was the 2021 Chicago Reader 50th Anniversary button contest winner (1990's). He spent a decade teaching improvisation and visual art to CPS students through Columbia College Chicago, created and taught the Painting for Improvisers workshop at The Second City Training Center Chicago and the Zmack International Improv Intensive, and co-founded the word-of-mouth variety show The Shithole. He believes that being persistent, consistent, and tenacious is the key to both creative discovery and artistic fulfillment.

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PAST EXHIBITIONS

Chicago Truborn

All Star Press

Cards Against Humanity    

Design Museum of Chicago
Wndr Museum 

Elephant Room Gallery

Jackson Junge Gallery
Dimo's Pizza
Star Lounge
Chicago Diner

Columbia College Chicago

McGarryBowen

Virgil Catherine Gallery (Hinsdale, IL)

Gallery Forty-Two (Indianapolis, IN)

Graham Cracker Comics Lakeview

Happen Space Gallery
Gallery Cafe

The Seventh Corner Gallery

Wayward Arts

Toy de Jour

Backlot OIP
A Dope Art Show - Ludlow Liquors

Agitator Gallery

Haz Room

1100 Florence Gallery (Evanston, IL)

Happy Gallery

Rev. Billy's Chop Shop

Studio Freelove
Reed's Local

Pick Me Up Cafe
Sedgwick Stop
First Ascent - Block 37
Gallery Cabaret
Village Tap

Cole's Bar

Fulton Street Collective

ArtSpace Chicago
Green Eye Lounge
Lemmings Tavern

Full Bust

Smarty Cup Cafe 

Randall's Pub

Alulu Brewpub
Royal Grocer

blnkhaus
Tradition Gastropub

Chicago Distilling Company - All American Trash Show

The Martin

Your Happy Place Liquors

St. Lucia's Smoke Shop
Rewired Cafe
The Frame Shop - Bridgeport
Hair Party
B'El Kitchen and Bar
Baderbrau
Pressure Billiards
Orange with a Peel
The Crowd Theater
The Playground Theater
Underground Wonder Bar

Yo Factory (Milwaukee, WI)
Espresso Royale (Madison, WI)
Studio 659 (Whiting, IN)
The Village Theater (Atlanta, GA)
Chalkboard Cafe ( Wallace, ID)
Second Wind Coffee House (Norman, OK)

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