AROUND THE BLOCK: ARTISTS FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
June 15 to August 6, 2015
Giertz Gallery at Parkland
College
Reception: Thursday, June
18, 6–8 p.m., gallery lounge, Gallery Talk by Aron Packer at 7 p.m.
Live Jazz Music by Sam
Peters
Suzanne Keith Loechl, Residential II, 24" x 36", oil on panel, 2014
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —Art work by local artists featured in an exhibition at
Giertz Gallery at Parkland College in collaboration with 40 North: Champaign
County Arts Council, will be held June 15 through August 6 at the Giertz
Gallery. This juried art exhibition features works selected by Aron Packer from
Packer –Schopf Gallery.
Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, in collaboration with 40
North: Champaign County Arts Council, presents Around the Block: Artists from
Our Neighborhood, an exciting and ambitious contemporary exhibition of regional
artists. Aron Packer served
as juror for this exhibition. He has been living and working with contemporary
and folk art in Chicago for more than 25 years. He is the director of Packer
Schopf Gallery located in the thriving West Loop gallery district in Chicago.
Over the years, his curatorial focus has shifted from folk art to contemporary
art; as a result, he curates shows of what he considers to be compelling, with
a wide range of material and content. This exhibit is
comprised of works of art submitted by artists from our community and reflects
the caliber of creative flourish that is present in mid- central Illinois.
After selecting the work, he was impressed by the broad range of work
submitted. He reflected, “Being judgmental is tough...yet at the same time...
it's a joy to dissect and choose work for a show. I still love doing it after many years of
being a curator and gallerist. In this
situation, I don't have control over who enters, so it's always a mystery and
pleasure to scroll through the entries to see what is next!”
Participating Artists include Anna Barnes, Sandra Batzli, Gary Beaumont,
Roberta Bennett, Jess Beyler, Harry Breen, Cynthia Carlson, Nicholas Cragoe,
Beth Darling, Glen Davies, Heather Dent, Carmen Egolf, Pamela Ek, Barbara
England, Lisa Marye Evans, Deborah Fell, Hannah Fiske, Tina Giamberdino,
Richard Gouinlock, Sara Jahn, Doug Johnson, Judy Jones, Jan Kappes, Jeanette
Kavanaugh, Rick Larimore, Taekyeom Lee, Suzanne Keith Loechl, Casey Lowry,
Paula McCarty, Stacy McDade, Barbara McDonnell, Sophie McMahan, Melissa
Mitchell, Pat Monigold, Melonie Mulkey, David Nolan, Sally Nolan, Anjali
Palekar, Jason Patterson, Shannon Batman Percoco, Ellie Pinzarrone, Dot
Replinger, Shane Rodems, Michael Schwegmann, Andrea Shields, David Smith, Lynn
Hawkinson Smith, Billie Theide, Michael Thomas, Rimas VisGirda, Bryan Warsaw,
Rosalind Weinberg, Nathan Westerman, Catherine Wiesener, Charles Wisseman, and
Sarah Wisseman.
Lisa Costello, Director of Giertz Gallery at Parkland College remarked,
“It was a strong turn out of artists who submitted their work for the exhibit.
I think it is going to be a terrific survey of artists who live in the area. I
was very pleased that Aron Packer agreed to be our juror. He took the
responsibility very seriously and gave a lot of thought to his selection.” She
said, “Working with 40 North, Champaign County’s Art Council really help us to
get the word out and they have been a valuable resource to our community.”
All events in the handicapped-accessible gallery are free and open to the
public. Summer gallery hours are Monday–Thursday from 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
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