News

Vertical Gallery is very proud to present its 13-Year Anniversary Show, an all-star group exhibition commemorating 13 years at the vanguard of street art, pop surrealism, graffiti and beyond. 

Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Show, on view from March 13 through April 19, marks the gallery’s return to Chicago, where its story began. All work will be displayed inside Jackson Junge Gallery, located in the city’s bustling Wicker Park neighborhood.  

“This is our first show of 2026, and our first show back in Chicago since we changed our business model to online and special exhibitions,” says Vertical owner Patrick Hull. “I am excited to see everyone, and to celebrate our anniversary!”

Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary artist roster brings together 13 longtime collector favorites and emerging talents from across the city, across the nation and across the globe, showcasing the consistency and diversity that have remained hallmarks of the gallery’s monthly programming efforts since its inception. The 13 artists are (in alphabetical order):

• Andria Beighton 
• Blake Jones 
• Grant William Thye
• Jerome Tiunayan
• Laura Catherwood
• Liz Flores
• Martin Whatson
• Mau Mau
• Oak Oak
• Pipsqueak was here!!!
• Pollyanna
• Scott Mills
• Steve Seeley

Each artist will display four original works sized at 12 x 12 in. (30 x 30 cm). 

Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Show kicks off Friday, March 13 with an opening reception at Jackson Junge Gallery (1389 N. Milwaukee Ave.) from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. For additional information, or to sign up to receive our collector preview, email sales@verticalgallery.com.  

Skip the roses and chocolates. This Valentine’s Day, give the gift of art.

Jerome Tiunayan’s new holiday print release “Better Half” captures what love is all about: sacrifice, commitment and devotion. Commissioned expressly for Valentine’s gifting by Vertical Gallery owner Patrick Hull, “Better Half” (which showcases Tiunayan’s semi-autobiographical signature character and the boy’s canine comrade, a stand-in for the Chicago-based painter’s mini goldendoodle Mochi) is signed and numbered in an edition of just 25 copies, and sized at 16 by 20 inches — perfect for standard frames.

“Better Half” kicks off the Vertical Collectors Club series, which features exclusive seasonal-themed releases from the gallery’s favorite artists. In the latest installment of our web-exclusive interview series Five Questions with…, Hull pulls back the curtain on Vertical Collectors Club’s origins, and previews what’s coming next. 

Question 1: How did the Vertical Collectors Club concept take shape? 

Patrick Hull: It just seemed like a fun thing to do. I'm always looking for ways to stay in front of our collectors, and to grow our collector base. We've been doing print releases with our artists for years, but I've been wanting to do something a bit more organized, and this felt like the perfect time to do it. 

An artist creating an original work for a print release is a slightly different twist to how prints are usually done. Usually when a painting is created, it’s shown somewhere, and then a print is made at a later date. But “Better Half” was created for the sake of being a print. We’re also making the original painting available for purchase, which is another twist. I’ve been a collector for years, and I’ve never seen a release quite like this one.  

Question 2: Why did you launch the series with a Valentine’s Day-themed print, and why was Jerome Tiunayan the right artist for the job?

A print release needs a purpose. Tying the first release to an event like Valentine’s Day seemed like a clever idea, but I didn’t want a big heart on paper — not that that’s a bad thing, but I wanted to offer the kind of work I would frame and hang on my wall all year round. 

”Better Half” is Jerome’s first print release through a gallery. I knew he would take the Valentine’s Day idea and interpret it in his own artistic way, and he hit it out of the park with the very first image he sent me. It’s exactly what I was looking for. 

Question 3: Where will Vertical Collectors Club go from here? 

All releases in the series will be very limited, affordable editions priced in the $200 range or below — “Better Half” is $165, for example. We’re going to release a new print every six to eight weeks, and when people purchase this first print, we’re giving them the option to secure the matching edition number of the next one, which will be by Laura Catherwood.

As you can tell by the name, it’s a collectors club — right now, the focus is on prints, but eventually, we may offer something other than a print. It could be hand-finished editions, it could be objects, or it could be something entirely different. We’re keeping our options open, and making sure it remains an interesting project for the artists that we work with.

Question 4: Shifting gears, Vertical Gallery celebrates its 13th anniversary this year. What can collectors expect?

We always have a theme for our anniversary shows, and this one is pretty basic: it's 13 artists, and it opens on Friday, the 13th of March. Each artist is doing four works each. Some artists we haven't shown in over a year, some are the usual suspects you see frequently in our shows, and there's one new artist in the mix who’s never shown at Vertical, or even shown in Chicago before.

The exhibition will be at Jackson Junge Gallery in Wicker Park. It’s the first time we're doing an anniversary show at a different location. Partnering with galleries can really be a win-win: We're bringing our customers to them, and I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of their people viewing a Vertical Gallery show for the first time, too. 

Question 5: What else is in store for Vertical during the coming months?

We've got Collin van der Sluijs booked for July. We're partnering with Joy Machine Gallery for that. We’re doing a big group show at Frame Chicago in September — over 25 artists. And we just booked Aqua Art Miami once again, so we will be returning to sunny South Beach. We’re doing another group show like we did in December, and I’m just starting to put together the group of artists for that exhibition. It’s going to be another busy year.

Dogs make the best sidekicks, both in life and in art. Just ask Jerome Tiunayan. 

Jerome’s sly, supple paintings, most recently on view inside Vertical Gallery’s booth at Aqua Art Miami 2025, showcase the fantastical exploits of his semi-autobiographical signature character and the boy’s canine comrade, a stand-in for the artist’s beloved mini goldendoodle Mochi. The dynamic duo’s misadventures continue with the Feb. 2 release of Jerome’s limited-edition print “Better Half,” the first installment in the new Vertical Collectors Club series. 

“A character like mine needs a partner in crime,” Jerome (@gohomejerome) says. “I think it's cool to come at a story from two different perspectives.” 

Jerome and his now-wife Valerie adopted five-year-old Mochi (so named for Japan’s ubiquitous sweet rice cakes) prior to relocating to Chicago from their native New York City. 

“Val’s a schoolteacher, and at that time, she spent her summers working in a pet shop,” Jerome recalls. “Mochi was ill when she arrived at the shop. She couldn’t be left unsupervised, so Val volunteered us to look after her for a few days. The idea was that the dog would eventually go back to the pet store — Val really wanted to keep her, but I didn't want to have any extra responsibilities. Then, on the second day that Mochi was there, I was drawing on the kitchen table, and she wormed her way in between my feet. She seemed to know exactly what to do to make sure that I would never get rid of her or give her up. It made me realize how selfish I was being, not only about her, but about Val. It grew from there... It felt nice to care for something outside of myself.”

Jerome’s affection for Mochi inevitably spilled into his fictional world. “I didn't really put much thought into it, beyond ‘It'd be cool if my character had a companion when I send him on adventures.’ I love ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ [Bill Watterson’s classic comic strip about a precocious six-year-old and his stuffed tiger], and I'm sure that has something to do with it,” Jerome says. “There’s a balancing act to the work that features both characters. The kid’s an all-work kind of person, which reflects how I am in real life. The dog’s lighthearted, positive outlook is a reminder that it's okay to play every now and then.”  

“Better Half” captures a rare break in the action. The sweet, simple scene depicts the boy offering the dog half of his sandwich — a show of sacrifice, commitment and devotion. 

“I don't look at them as individual paintings. It’s a whole narrative, and I'm just showing you little pieces of it,” Jerome says. “For ‘Better Half,’ I wanted to paint something where they're resting, as opposed to something travel-oriented. Val taught me that feeding somebody, or having somebody feed you, is a gesture that can only be from love.” 

“Better Half” kicks off Vertical’s Collectors Club series, which features exclusive seasonal-themed print releases commissioned from the gallery’s favorite artists. Vertical owner Patrick Hull requested “Better Half” for release in time for Valentine’s Day gift-giving. 

“I wanted to offer collectors something that fit the holiday, but also something that would hang on the wall year round,” Patrick explains. “Valentine’s Day isn’t only about romantic love — it’s also about friendship and appreciation. I knew Jerome would understand the feeling I was looking for, and he captured it perfectly.” 

“Better Half” is signed and numbered in an edition of just 25 copies, and sized at 16 by 20 inches — perfect for standard frames. “We've done a lot of prints in conjunction with exhibitions, but this is the first time we’ve commissioned an original work expressly to release a corresponding print edition,” Patrick says. “The other special thing is that some lucky person will be able to purchase Jerome’s original painting of the ‘Better Half’ print image.”

Moving forward, Vertical Collectors Club will drop a limited-edition print every six to eight weeks, based on a brand-new work by a different artist; email sales@verticalgallery.com to purchase “Better Half” and lock in matching edition numbers on subsequent releases in the series. 

Jerome next returns as one of 13 artists featured in Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Group Show, on display inside Chicago’s Jackson Junge Gallery from Mar. 13 through Apr. 19. While Mochi will almost certainly factor into the equation, don’t hold your breath for an appearance from Jerome and Val’s other dog, Margot. 

“Margot is only focused on ‘What time are you feeding me?’ and ‘Can you make room on the couch so I can sleep 23 hours out of the day?’” Jerome laughs. “I’ve given thought to a storyline where I could depict both dogs — that's very much a possibility, although I don't know how much it would make sense right now. Either way, Margot doesn't give a shit if I paint her or not.”

Purchase the print here.

Vertical Gallery is very proud to announce the Vertical Collectors Club, a limited-edition print series featuring exclusive seasonal-themed releases from the gallery’s favorite artists.

Vertical Collectors Club launches with the Feb. 2 release of Jerome Tiunayan’s “Better Half,” timed especially for Valentine’s Day gift-giving. “Better Half,” which stars Tiunayan’s semi-autobiographical signature character and the boy’s canine comrade (a stand-in for the Chicago-based artist’s beloved mini goldendoodle Mochi), is signed and numbered in an edition of just 25 copies, and sized at 16 by 20 inches — perfect for standard frames.

Vertical Collectors Club offers art enthusiasts worldwide the opportunity to acquire strictly-limited, high-quality print editions from the most sought-after talents in the urban-contemporary realm. 

“We've done a lot of prints in conjunction with gallery exhibitions and events, but Vertical Collectors Club marks the first time we’ve commissioned original work expressly to release a print edition,” Hull says. “The other special thing is that some lucky person will be able to purchase Jerome’s original painting of the ‘Better Half’ print image.”

Vertical Gallery will officially release “Better Half” through its website on Monday, Feb. 2 at 10:00am ET/7:00 PT, but collectors can pre-order their copy of the print now and receive free shipping if purchased before Jan. 31.

Moving forward, Vertical Collectors Club will drop a limited-edition print every six to eight weeks, based on a brand-new work by a different artist. The next release in the series, coming this spring, features longtime Vertical favorite Laura Catherwood.

“Better Half” sets a high standard for Vertical Collectors Club efforts to follow. A refreshing pause from the comic misadventures captured in Tiunayan’s previous works, the sweet, simple “Better Half” depicts the boy offering the dog half of his sandwich — a show of sacrifice, commitment and devotion. 

“I don't look at them as individual paintings. It’s a whole narrative, and I'm just showing you little pieces of it,” Tiunayan says. “For ‘Better Half,’ I wanted to paint something where they're resting, as opposed to something travel-oriented. My wife Valerie taught me that feeding somebody, or having somebody feed you, is a gesture that can only be from love.”

Tiunayan’s fierce affection for five-year-old Mochi made him the perfect choice for a Valentine’s Day-inspired piece, Hull says.

“I wanted to offer collectors something that fit the holiday, but also something that would hang on the wall year round,” he explains. “Valentine’s Day isn’t only about romantic love — it’s also about friendship and appreciation. I knew Jerome would understand the feeling I was looking for, and he captured it perfectly.”

For additional information on Vertical Collectors Club, contact info@verticalgallery.com.

Shop artwork from Flog here.

Flog sees people for who they really are. The French painter — one of 13 artists exhibiting with Vertical Gallery at Aqua Art Miami 2025 — exposes the emotions and experiences below the surface, bypassing our exterior selves to capture the true essence of our beings.

Flog’s deft, dazzling blend of aerosol spray, acrylics and oils gained international attention following the 2020 introduction of his signature Human of Glass character, within whose transparent body the colors and complexities of life swirl and splash. Vertical Gallery first exhibited Flog’s work on American shores in 2022, and presented the artist’s debut U.S. solo showcase, the sold-out ‘Rewind,’ at SCOPE Miami Beach 2023. We next reunited in May 2025 for Flog’s first New York City solo show, ‘Hand in Hand.’ 

What does Flog have in store this time around? Find out in the latest installment of our Artist Spotlight series. 

Vertical Gallery: What adventures await your Human of Glass character at Aqua Art Miami 2025?

Flog: For this year’s edition of Aqua Miami, I wanted to revisit a series I had set aside for quite some time. This new body of work revolves around the symbolism of overcoming adversity, using a metal fence as the central obstacle my character must cross — one way or another. What awaits on the other side is left entirely to the viewer’s imagination.

Along with the introduction of the fence motif, I’ve also been exploring new variations in the character’s clothing. It’s something I’ve been experimenting with lately because it allows me to bring in new accents of color and create stronger visual contrasts.

Which colors are you embracing this time around, and what feelings and thoughts do you hope to evoke?

In this series, I’m not focusing on a specific palette in the traditional sense. The emphasis is more on symbolism than on color itself. That being said, the sky is very present as a metaphor for hope and dreams — so naturally, shades of blue appear throughout the paintings.

After exhibiting with Vertical Gallery in New York City, you headlined a solo show in London. How did those two exhibitions differ, and how did they feed into the work you have planned for Miami?

The London show, much like the Miami presentation, centered on the character interacting with a recurring symbolic element to tell new stories. The NYC exhibition, on the other hand, explored oversized objects connected to the character’s identity. But the biggest evolution — both in London and now in Miami — is the introduction of a female Human of Glass figure, which opens up new narrative possibilities.

Why did you choose to introduce a female figure?

The Human of Glass was always meant to be genderless, but over time I realized that many viewers subconsciously perceived it as masculine. Introducing a second figure felt like the right step — one that will allow me to tell new stories moving forward. And if this helps women or young girls connect more personally with the character, then it’s absolutely worth expanding its universe.

How else has your relationship with the Human of Glass evolved over the years?

My relationship with the character remains fundamentally the same as in the beginning. But with each passing year, I feel more confident pushing the symbolism further, creating bolder narratives, richer details and more vibrant compositions.

What do you hope the Miami audience takes away from experiencing this collection of work?

I chose a universal theme, and I hope viewers will read it in a positive way — as a reminder that nothing should hold us back when we have a dream to pursue.

Shop artwork from Flog here.