I became a member of the Mexican Printmaking Workshop in 1994 and was asked to contribute to a linoleum reductive print to a portfolio that they were creating with 19 different artists muralists, and printmakers from Chicago, Mexico, and Central America. The subject was Human rights and would be sold to raise money for the group and each artist would receive a complete portfolio for their own. The portfolio was shown across the U.S., Mexico and Central America. The woodcut project was supported by the Mexican fine Arts Center Museum and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. We were given a $5000.00 grant to create the project about the history of migration in Chicago. It was done in conjunction with Gallery 37, a summer youth art program. The World’s largest woodcut print measuring 200 feet long, used 50lbs of ink and was printed using a three ton steamroller on September 3, 1994 at State and Randolph Streets beginning at 11:00 am. The photos on the website show images from the creation of the project . I am the driver of the stream roller in the photo in the beginning, then Edgar Lopez finished up. This project was made possible for the Mexican Printmaking Workshop through a grant awarded to us by the Regional Artists Projects Competition, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts in Chicago based on the project’s uniqueness. I left the group in 1997 and opened my own printshop in my home studio and invited artists to stay with us for 2 weeks so they could create a body of work for themselves and for my print shop called Taller de Grafica Galigo. I produced 2 portfolios, one in 1997 about PEACE and one in 1999 about the Lotteria a well known game similar to bingo. I have fond memories and work from the artists that stayed and participated in those portfolios. The Peace Portfolio was donated to Chicago Peace Museum and many other institutions to raise money for their causes . The Lotteria portfolio was donated to each artist that participated and many others to raise money In support of their auctions. To learn more about the Chicago Peace Museum please go to their website.
I then started a relationship with the Feitico gallery in Chicago in 2000. It was the first gallery in the world to focus on Erotic, Fetish and sexually charged art in all mediums by local underground as well as international known artists. I created 15 Aqua tint etchings for a show with them and they later were the only gallery brave enough to exhibit my six Serial Killer paintings.
