Deadline: March 30, 2026 

The Chicago and Vicinity Riso Biennial is a regional exhibition celebrating risograph printing as it is being made right now across the Midwest. The show brings together artists from Chicago and Illinois along with the surrounding states — Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana — working in a medium defined by experimentation, accessibility, and the particular beauty of ink on paper.

Risograph printing occupies a unique space — rooted in zine culture and independent publishing, but increasingly embraced by artists pushing at the edges of what the process can do. Its layered spot colors, soy-based inks, and analog unpredictability make it a medium that rewards curiosity and collaboration.

This biennial is both a survey and a celebration, and a cheeky nod to the Art Institute of Chicago’s now defunct Chicago and Vicinity exhibition. This show is a chance to bring Midwest riso work into conversation with itself and honor a tradition of showing regional art, grounded in the independent, artist-driven print culture of the Midwest.

Eligibility: Artists residing in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, or Indiana are invited to submit.

Submissions: Artists may submit up to 3 existing works made using risograph. Submissions are free and open via this link.

Key Dates: 

Submission deadline: March 30, 2026 

Artist notification: April 6 

Work due at Spudnik Press (1821 W Hubbard St, #302, Chicago, IL 60622): April 20, 2026 

Opening Reception: Sunday, May 3, 2–5pm
Epiphany Center for the Arts: 201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607

Show closing Jul 4, 2026

Work can be shipped or dropped off at Spudnik Press at the expense of the sender (we recommend that out-of-town artists work together to ship their prints in one package). The work will be retained at the end of the show as part of a permanent archive (or as permanent as Riso can be).