Artists on Tap
These are the artists featured in the Art on Tap Chicago films, showcasing the energy of Chicago’s bar culture and the creative community built within its neighborhood taverns.
Alex Nall
BRIDGEPORT
BERNICE'S TAVERN
Alex Nall is a Chicago cartoonist, illustrator and self-publisher whose comics explore Midwestern life, community and human connection. Creator of the Town & County series, Alex is deeply involved in Chicago’s independent comics and zine community and co-runs Hardscrabble Cafe, a printing and publishing operation at Inside Town Art Collective.
For more on Alex, visit Hardscrabble Cafe and his Instagram page.
Ken R. Klopack is a multidisciplinary muralist and illustrator working as PureKreation, blending street-level grit with refined craft. His work moves across mural painting, hand-painted signage, gold leaf gilding, and custom illustration—rooted in a hands-on approach that values texture, scale, and presence.
Beyond the visual, Ken works in sound—scoring, composing, mixing, and recording—bringing the same instinct-driven process into music production.
Bucktown
THE MAP ROOM
Ken R Klopack
LOGAN SQUARE
SOLEMN OATH's STILL LIFE
Lauren Foit
Lauren Foit, a Loyola University graduate, is a Chicago-based mixed-media artist whose work centers on making art accessible and communal. Through her 'Lauren Took an Art Class' platform, she shares her artistic process, tutorials, and in-person creative events. For more on Lauren, visit her profiles on Instagram and TikTok.
Cori O'Connor
Logan Square
GO Tavern & Liquors
Cori O’Connor is a mixed-media artist whose work explores themes of death, renewal, and identity inspired by nature and rural life. A University of Florida BFA graduate, she uses her art to amplify marginalized voices and encourage dialogue around mental health, social justice, and resilience. For more on Cori, visit www.thebestiary.net
ALBANY PARK
CENTRAL PARK BAR
Lexi Alvarado
Lexi Alvarado is a visual artist whose figurative abstract acrylic paintings blend realistic elements with bold shapes and color to explore identity, emotion, and the human experience. Lexi volunteers with the Logan Square Mutual Aid and is part of the Inside Town Art Collective. For more on Lexi, visit her Instagram.
Joe Sikora
Lincoln Park
J9 wine bar
Joe Sikora is a Chicago-based visual artist and small business owner. Joe runs Chicago Fine Art Salon and helps lead Art City, where he serves as founder and executive director of NEW Gallery, a curated local artist gallery within the Art City space.
Art on Tap Chicago partnered with Joe and his team on Art City's July 2026 show, "Cash Only: An Ode to Dive Bars."