We were in attendance Saturday night at the opening of "Super Button Mashers," a video game-inspired exhibition that transformed Chicago's OhNo!Doom gallery into the OhNo!Arcade. Asked to create artwork based on a fond favorite game – whether current or classic, and for arcades or home consoles – more than 60 artists responded in kind with plush creations, paintings, sketches, and other expressions of their beloved gaming memories.

Hundreds of attendees packed the small space to take in the diverse works, which included a stunningly realistic oil painting of Link from The Legend of Zelda by David Palumbo, a mounted plush torso of Yoshi from the Super Mario series by Melissa Sue Stanley, a layered drawing of Bomberman (called the "Unabomber") in his workshop from Shawn Smith (Shawnimals), and an adorable plush Game Boy system and Tetris cartridge by Steff Bomb.

In addition to the artwork, the event featured raffles with prizes provided by sponsors Worm Hole, Logan Hardware, and Gorilla Tango, as well as beer from Low Dive and Game Boy-aided chiptune performances by Saskrotch and Kkrusty.

For a glimpse at what went down last night, we've included several photos below. And if you're in Chicago over the next two weeks, be sure to check out "Super Button Mashers," which runs through February 25 at OhNo!Doom, located at 1800 N. Milwaukee.

Blog Post by Andrew Hayward || Freelance Writer/Editor