2011 Parkland Art and Design Faculty Exhibition

Unique works in Faculty Art Exhibition set to open August 22

CHAMPAIGN—Parkland College’s annual Faculty Art Exhibition opens Monday, August 22 and runs through Saturday, September 17, featuring works by the school’s Fine and Applied Arts department faculty in Art and Design. The works include sculpture, photography, metals, wood, oil, watercolor, digital media, ceramics, and other media.

In celebration of exhibit artists, a reception, with live music, including accordion, by The Chris Reyman Trio, will be held on Thursday, September 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gallery lounge. The reception allows the public to mingle with the artists and features a talk by Peggy Shaw on her work at 7 p.m.

As always, the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

Approximately 20 faculty studio artists will participate in this year’s exhibition. Art enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy the versatility of the works on display, which mirrors the broad spectrum of art courses available at Parkland. Exhibit artists include Louis Ballard, Chris Berti, Lisa Costello, Marsha Daniels, Jennifer Davis, Stacey Gross, Bryan Heaton, Steven Hudson, Jamie Kruidenier, Melinda McIntosh, Craig McMonigal, Laura O’Donnell, Denise Seif, Peggy Shaw, Phil Smith, Tim Stiles, Joan Stolz, Matthew Watt, Kelly White, and Paul Young.

A series of art lectures in the gallery has been planned to coincide with the exhibit. These “High Noon with the Artist” lectures allow faculty from selected areas to offer in-depth discussions on their artwork or on other art-related topics. Depending on the question-and-answer portion, these events, which begin at noon, should last a half hour to 45 minutes. On September 8, Associate Professor Matthew Watt will talk about his work, a new series of drawings (non-digital) and 3D modeling he worked on in Canterbury, England, during an instructor exchange. Laura O’Donnell, an instructor in Art History and Ceramics, will present a talk with Hiroko Ito, instructor of Japanese language and culture, about an upcoming Ceramics Tour to Japan that they will lead next spring through Parkland Community Education.

This year’s Faculty Art Exhibition is being held in memory of Blair Kling, emeritus professor of Indian history at the University of Illinois, who passed away in May due to complications from mesothelioma. Kling’s family and friends, who are sponsoring the exhibit, had suggested at that time that memorial donations be sent to the Parkland Art Gallery in lieu of flowers.

Fall gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Saturday, noon-2 p.m. The gallery will be closed on Monday, September 5 for Labor Day. To find the gallery when classes are in session, we suggest using the M6 parking lot on the north corner of the campus. Enter through any door and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point of the first floor, where the gallery is located. The gallery windows overlook the outdoor fountain area.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Parkland is a section 504/ADA-compliant institution. For accommodation, call 217/351-2505.