Northside Chicago’s Foursided Framing, Cards, Gifts, Art and Antiques Founder and Owner Todd (Todd Mack) MacGillivray died Jan. 7 due to complications from his 35-year struggle with brittle Type 1 Diabetes and Addison’s Disease. MacGillivray was also in recovery from alcoholism disease at the time of his death. He was 57.
MacGillivray was born July 29, 1967, in Detroit and spent his childhood and teen years in Sterling Heights, Michigan; he graduated from Sterling Heights High School in 1985. To further his creative talents, he took adult classes at Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center and Mount Clemens Art Center while still in high school. He got his associates degree from Macomb Community College and attended Eastern Michigan University.
While in his 20’s, MacGillivray set up a small framing service inside of Foibles antique shop. He later went into business for himself with Todd Mack Designs picture framing gallery and ‘Ganza gift shop in East Lansing’s Old Town neighborhood. He ran those businesses until he moved to Chicago.
On a trip to Ohio in Oct. 2000, MacGillivray met his future husband Chicagoan Gino Pinto. They both have told friends that they had an instantaneous attraction to each other. The couple kept a long-distance relationship until MacGillivray moved to Chicago in December 2001. They had a small, intimate wedding ceremony in Chicago on Pinto’s birthday in April 2023.
MacGillivray and Pinto enjoyed traveling the world with friends and family. Their favorite excursions included ones to Alaska, Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Brazil, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Yosemite and Iceland. MacGillivray loved to snorkel in the ocean when he could during these trips. His love of travel and adventurous spirit began in childhood during family camping trips all over the United States.
In 2002, MacGillivray opened up Foursided Framing, Cards, Gifts, Art and Antiques on Broadway in Lake View, where he was able to combine his love of the arts and his business sense. Over the ensuing years, his dedication resulted in his business’s growth to five locations and 40 total employees in both Lake View and Andersonville. MacGillivray’s mission with Foursided was to celebrate art, creativity and connection.
In 2016, Foursided was honored with the Best Place to Shop award from the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce. The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce honored Foursided as the retailer of the year in 2019. From 2020 to 2024, Chicago Reader named Foursided the winner of its “Best of Chicago” annual poll for Best Picture Framing Store.
MacGillivray also gave back to the community as a Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce board president (2009-2010) and board member (2004-2012). His work there included fostering local business support, commercial district improvements and helping others create opportunities towards their own successes. MacGillivray was also a founding member of the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts, which has become one of the most respected art festivals in the Midwest.
Additionally, MacGillivray lived every day of his life to its fullest, friends said. He looked out for others who faced difficulties in their life, often giving money or food to those he met on the street. MacGillivray and Pinto also donated money to Care for Good food pantry and Thresholds,
MacGillivray was preceded in death by his uncle Donald MacGillivray, Pinto’s father Eugenio Pinto, his best friend Tony Bright and his beloved cat Maddy. He is survived by Pinto, his parents William and Sandra MacGillivray, brother Brett MacGillivray, Pinto’s mother Annette Pinto, cousins/sisters Jennifer Halas and Jessica (Tim) Laubach, goddaughter and niece Miranda (Tim) Sulkowski, godchild Jadzia Curry-Neal, sisters-in-law Annette (Clare Gallagher) Pinto and Lisa Pinto, uncles Norman MacGillivray and Jack (Carol) MacGillivray, aunt Sally (Donald’s widow) MacGillivray, nephews Paul Pinto and Dustin Gallagher-Pinto, niece Bobbi Gallagher-Pinto, many cousins, countless chosen family members and friends and his other beloved cats Marble and Ravi.
Pinto said the day after MacGillivray’s death, “I am heartbroken beyond comprehension at his loss. My body aches for him and I saw him in my dreams last night. He was my rock. While I am having trouble putting into words what this amazing human being meant to me for the last 25 years, I know he would want you all to celebrate his life and legacy. He had a positive influence on hundreds of people, artists, family, others struggling with the same diseases, hundreds of dogs who always looked for his treats and attention.
“He gave me Lotus seeds for Christmas because he knew how much I love plants and I’m growing them now for him. I hope he is looking down on us laughing at the commotion, seeing that the cats and I are so sad but reminded of him in everything in our home, from the little mini art installations he made on our tables, from his artwork on the walls, from the photos of the many trips we took together around the world, and from his smell on his pillow and clothes. I am so devastated even though I know he struggled so hard and he is at peace now, without pain, nor tired any longer. I will continue to reflect on the love of my life, my best friend, my hero.”
Longtime friend Rachel Curry-Neal said, “If you know me, you are aware of how indescribably important Todd Mack has been in my life. Our whole family, especially his godchild, Jadzia (and his twin Johari) are heartsick from this loss. Todd’s ability to uncover immense beauty in the most ordinary objects truly gave him the most extraordinary perspective and heart. My wife Zendzi and I will forever cherish the day Todd held his godchild for the very first time. And I will never stop missing Todd.”
Longtime friend Max Anderson said, “I met Todd Mack in a recovery meeting in 2009 and we became instant friends. Todd and Gino accepted me into their lives and for that I will be forever grateful. Todd encouraged my own artistic endeavors in photography as much as he had been so supportive of artists, especially queer artists in Chicago. Todd and Gino created a unique environment in their Foursided stores and that is one part of the amazing legacy he leaves behind.
Longtime friend and Char’s Flower Shop Owner and Operator Neil J. Janes said, “Though Todd and I hadn’t seen each other in several years, since my last trip to Chicago, we remained in touch. We became friends after my move from the very rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and the suburbs of Detroit, in 1991. My last message from him was on December 24th, simply asking me what I was doing for the holidays, to which I replied that I was ‘Homo for the Holidays, with my Family and Friends!’ If you knew Todd, you could see him smiling from my double entendre response, proud and queer, from ear to ear.
“I first met Todd while job hunting, after moving to Warren, a suburb of Detroit, where I temporarily stayed with relatives. I had left the wilds of rural Upper Peninsula, and the farmlands, forests and lakes, where I was born and raised, for city life, hoping to get a new lease on my life and to find myself fully, in a place that I felt had a lot more to offer me personally, socially, as well as for job opportunities.
“I always enjoyed being creative and artistic, so when I saw a job opening for an entry level picture framer for ‘Frames Unlimited,’ I felt it was something I could do and hopefully would enjoy too. Todd was the manager at that location and hired me. We got along great from the start. He was so very skilled, imaginative, creative and outgoing, he took the craft to a whole new level. I was in awe of his ability and craft.
“We talked about our lives and what we had been through, and Todd let me know right away that he was there for me, and happy to be my mentor, friend, and confidant. He was always positive and supportive.”
Local painter and longtime friend Chuck Meyers (who sold his artwork at Foursided and also did a portrait of MacGillivray and Pinto that MacGillivray gave to Pinto as a Valentine’s Day gift many years ago) said, “Todd championed my work from the very beginning and encouraged me to apply to the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts. I’m glad I knew him.”
Former Foursided employee, Chicago Public Schools elementary school teacher and longtime friend Allison (Al) Leonard (who helped open the first three Foursided stores) said, “I recently suffered a tremendous loss. My mentor and amazing friend Todd passed away, taking with him a huge piece of my heart. Working with him, Gino and Foursided was one of the most influential periods of my life. I will be forever grateful for the 23 years of love, laughter, memories and inspiration they gifted me.”
Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and longtime friend Maureen Martino said, “Todd was more than a successful business owner—he was a visionary whose creativity and compassion transformed our community. With wit and wisdom, Todd championed young entrepreneurs and artists, cultivating a vibrant sense of place through creativity. His contributions to the LVE Festival of the Arts, the LVE Chamber, and the broader community have left an indelible mark that will endure for generations. His legacy lives on in the beauty he brought to our streets and the hearts he touched with his kindness and vision. Todd was a friend, a mentor, a business leader, a neighbor and an inspiration to many. Our hearts go out to his husband and business partner Gino Pinto and to the MacGillivary family. During these inconsolable days may we find comfort in the memories of his light and let the rainbow of his spirit shine eternally in all our hearts.”
A remembrance posted on Foursided’s website said that Mack was a passionate antiquing enthusiast. “Todd traveled widely—from Michigan to California [where they also lived for two years]—amassing a remarkable collection of vintage treasures and natural artifacts. His appreciation for the beauty in both the forgotten and the natural world was evident in everything he did. Todd’s eye for antiques and his reverence for nature shaped both his personal life and his creative endeavors.
“As a lover of animals, Todd ensured that every Foursided location had dog treats available outside, offering a warm welcome to all furry visitors. His commitment to kindness and hospitality extended to his employees, customers and the wider community.
“Todd’s creativity knew no bounds. His original collage artwork and framing techniques amazed those who encountered them, often prompting the exclamation, ‘Holy smokes, how’d he do that?!’ He was a mentor to countless artists, offering both formal and informal guidance to help them develop their own craft. Through numerous art openings, he showcased a diverse range of art and artists, striving to make art accessible and affordable while promoting small makers.
“In his stores and at home, Todd was always surrounded by a constant flow of projects in various stages of completion. He lived and breathed art, injecting humor and lightness into his work, and was known for his witty, playful nature that was reflected in both his art and his relationships.”
A celebration of life will take place Sunday, Jan. 26 from 12-4 p.m. at Artifacts Events, 4325 North Ravenswood Ave. in Chicago. The remembrance service will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m.
To honor Mack’s life and legacy, all Foursided locations will be closed on Jan. 26.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, people should make donations in Mack’s memory to the Chicago Diabetes Project.