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Sports-Focused Art Gallery From Galerie F Curator Coming To Logan Square

By Mina Bloom | May 25, 2017 6:03am
 Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff is gearing up to open his own gallery, All Star Press, at 2755 N. Milwaukee Ave., which will be focused on sports-related art, including prints of classic jerseys.
Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff is gearing up to open his own gallery, All Star Press, at 2755 N. Milwaukee Ave., which will be focused on sports-related art, including prints of classic jerseys.
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LOGAN SQUARE — The former curator of well-known street art gallery Galerie F is out to prove sports and art — two seemingly disparate subjects — go together with a gallery of his own.

Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff, known locally and abroad for his screen prints and gig posters, is opening a sports-themed gallery named All Star Press at 2775 N. Milwaukee Ave. on June 2. A grand opening party is set for 6-10 p.m.


The gallery is coming to 2775 N. Milwaukee Ave. [DNAinfo/Mina Bloom]

Tasseff-Elenkoff's work, including illustrated prints of classic jerseys of greats like Sammy Sosa and Allen Iverson, will be on full display, as will the sports-related work of about 25 artists like David Welker and JC Rivera.

The 1,000-square-foot gallery will double as an approachable and affordable retail store much like Galerie F, which opened about five years ago and has since moved down the street.

"My focus with art in general, since I was a teenager, has always been about accessibility. I grew up around art and one of the things I never liked about the art world is that it can be very insular and neglectful of the regular person," said Tasseff-Elenkoff who grew up in European cities like Paris and London, but has now lived in Chicago for 14 years.

"One of my major goals is to make the place accessible and affordable for anyone to come in."

During his decade-long career, Tasseff-Elenkoff illustrated more than two dozen Air Jordans for Nike and worked for other corporate beer and apparel brands.

He also spent about 4½ years curating art shows at Galerie F, which built a name for itself doing large-scale projects including the colorful Megamall murals. But he was forced to leave the gallery due to personal health problems, he said.

As soon as he recovered, he realized that he didn't want to give up curating art shows, which led him to All-Star Press, which he hopes will highlight the special relationship between sports and art.

"Sports and art don't usually relate that well. In general, people don't put the two things together that often. I don't see a why that is the case. There isn't any reason those two subject matters can't collide in a tactile and classy manner," he said.

The 34-year-old, who lives in neighboring Humboldt Park, is hoping the gallery brings together people who wouldn't necessarily interact.

"Fans of art, fans of sports, people from Lincoln Park and Lakeview, students in Logan Square, people from the South Side ... I'm hoping it's a catalyst for bringing people together," he said.