MIKE RECOMMENDS: N0T0X TOYS
N0T0X is a new gallery located at 726 W.18th St. in the Chicago Arts District. The gallery focuses primarily on Designer Art Toys and Urban Decay Photography.
N0T0X is taking a new approach to the Designer Art Toy market as it offers mostly Limited Edition and collectible environmentally friendly products. Most Designer Art Toys are made of toxic materials such as PVC or Poly Vinyl Chloride a substance that is made with chlorine and therefore dangerous to humans and persistent in the environment. Therefore, N0T0X mostly carries mostly collectible toys that are that are less harmful to the environment and humans. Plush toys are offered as well as toys made of paper and wood. However they are equally strange and cute that attract collectors to Urban Vinyl toys. Many toys are limited edition and in the future exclusive designs will be sold. Down the road N0T0X intends to find manufacturing processes that use other materials that are non-toxic that can be used to make Designer Art Toys that have the same qualities as Urban vinyl such as durability and the ability to hold color and mold into complicated shapes.
The limited edition concept is also applied to Urban Decay Photography. Prints are offered in limited quantities to maintain value for collectors. Featured photographers include Nick Haas, Agnieska Furtak, Etic Hulubow, Dave Knapick and the owner of N0T0X Seth Gershberg.
N0T0X also offers Paintings by Katie Brown and Anthony Allen, Circuit Bent and hand made electronic musical instruments made by Michael Una, Screen Prints, T-Shirts, Electronic Music, Street Art, Stickers, Video Art, and Graphic Novels. A webstore will be up and running by june and can be found at www.notoxtoys.com. Currently the URL will get you to a Facebook Fan page where you can follow the happenings of the Gallery online.
Finally at every second Friday Artwalk N0T0X features a music, video artist and DJ. Live performance start at 8 PM and go until 9 PM. The gallery is open during the 2nd Friday artwalk in Pilsen and by appointment.