ECC Presents Electric Horror: The Art and Design of Peter Infelise

Designs, monsters, sculptures, and more horror-inspired art are all on display at Electric Horror: The Art and Design of Peter Infelise, an art exhibition at Elgin Community College (ECC).

The exhibit’s public opening reception will take place on Thursday, September 17, from 5 to 7 pm at 1700 Spartan Drive, Building H (Room H100), in the Safety-Kleen Gallery in Elgin. Light refreshments will be available.

The exhibition celebrates three decades of masks, monsters, sculpture, and graphic design by artist and ECC graphic design professor Peter Infelise. As the founder of the independent mask-making studio Devil’s Workshop, Infelise has built a body of work rooted in the colorful horror comics, monster magazines, novelty advertisements, and pop culture of the 1960s and 1970s. 

“The goal is to inspire folks,” said Infelise on what he hopes people take away from the exhibit. “Although mask-making is a really old art form, it's not necessarily fine art by any means. There’s no deep meaning underneath. I honestly make these things for fun because I like them. If it inspires folks, cool.” 

The exhibition brings together hand-sculpted, limited-edition masks, original character designs, promotional artwork, packaging, and other graphic ephemera created throughout his 30-year career. Ranging from grotesque ghouls and wild-eyed creatures to bold, lurid advertising graphics, the work reflects Infelise’s fascination with vintage horror imagery and handcrafted production.

The exhibition is available to view now through November 30, 2026, during ECC’s Safety-Kleen Gallery’s regular hours of operation, 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.