Punk Musicians' Paintings Come to Chicago During Lollapalooza
Matt Skiba and Jesse Michaels showcase visual art at Elephant Room Gallery, July 30-August 1, offering a glimpse into the creative pursuits of the Alkaline Trio
Chicago will host an exhibition of paintings by two musicians closely associated with punk and post-punk music when Punk Rock & Paintbrushes presents works by Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio and Jesse Michaels of Operation Ivy during Lollapalooza weekend. The show runs July 30 through August 1 at Elephant Room Gallery, located at 704 S. Wabash in downtown Chicago, steps from Grant Park where the music festival takes place.
Skiba, who has collaborated with Punk Rock & Paintbrushes for over a decade and helped catalyze the creative collective's formation, described the exhibition as a homecoming. "I am thrilled & honored to be coming home to Chicago with Jesse Michaels," Skiba said in a statement. "His art and music has inspired me from a young age so I was grateful to make his acquaintance and become good friends with him when I moved to the Bay Area from Chicago years ago. We are both very excited to bring our art to my hometown together." Michaels added, "I am really stoked to be doing an exhibit with Matt and Punk Rock & Paintbrushes in Chicago. I love this city, I love Matt and all his art. I have a lot of new art I am excited to put up and out."
The gallery will host an opening night reception on July 30, followed by a special artist Q&A on July 31. Gallery hours continue through August 1. RSVPs are available through Eventbrite at CHICAGOPRPB2026.EVENTBRITE.COM. Emily Nielsen, founder of Punk Rock & Paintbrushes, emphasized the organization's mission to reveal another dimension of these musicians. "While they both are creative musicians, our goal is to show the other side of these artists through their paintings," Nielsen said. "We have been working with Matt over a decade and watching his art grow has been amazing. In the last 4 year of working with Jesse, I have seen his art grow and transform alongside the man he is and it has been a true testament that art really can change lives."
Punk Rock & Paintbrushes, founded in 2007, has established itself at galleries, concerts, and music festivals worldwide, presenting original artworks from musicians in punk, rock, and metal. The organization frequently incorporates auctions of signed items to benefit charitable causes. Earlier in 2026, the group mounted exhibitions at Dropkick Murphys' Boston shows in March and at Eye for Sound Gallery in Los Angeles that same month. The organization has also maintained onsite galleries at BeachLife in Redondo Beach, California; Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida; and Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio in May.
The Chicago exhibition marks one of several summer and fall events the organization plans to announce. The collective's origins trace to 2007 when founder Nielsen commissioned Rise Against's Tim McIlrath to paint a piece incorporating lyrics from the song "Survive" after her recovery from cancer—a work that has traveled globally as a personal reminder.