Image information: Hong Chun Zhang, “Twin Spirits #3,” charcoal on paper with scrolls, 42” x 100”, 2015

2016 State of the Art: Drawing Invitational Curated by Shelby Shadwell

Exhibit: Monday, November 14, 2016– Saturday, February 4, 2017

Reception: Thursday, November 17, 5–7 p.m., with Curatorial Talk by Shelby Shadwell at 6 p.m., and music by Parkland Guitar Ensemble

Additional artist lecture by Shelby Shadwell on Thursday, November 17 at 11am

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Contemporary drawing artists from across the U.S. will exhibit artworks during the "2016 State of the Art: Drawing Invitational," opening Monday, Nov. 14 at the Giertz Gallery at Parkland College.

Curated by University of Wyoming Associate Professor of Art Shelby Shadwell, the exhibit will run through Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. A reception Thursday, Nov. 17, 5–7 p.m. in the gallery lounge will feature a curatorial talk by Shadwell at 6 p.m., music by the Parkland Guitar Ensemble, and refreshments. Both the drawing exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

Exhibiting artists include Tamie Beldue, Susan D’Amato, Alison Denyer, Christopher Ganz, Michael Hook, Seth Marosok, Jeremy Plunkettt, John Sabraw, Christopher Troutman, and Hong Chun Zhang.

“I started with an assumption that, to the extent it can be observed, quality in visual art, including drawing, consists in the creation of objects that inspire a sense of awe and wonder through their expressed form and content.  I believe the pieces in this show succeed at that on every level,” Shadwell said about the show. “In terms of form, the artists demonstrate great ability to construct a convincing plasticity of space and the illusion of volumetric forms that encourages me, and hopefully all viewers, to marvel in sublime satisfaction at homo sapiens ability to translate what are essentially abstractions (observed lines, shapes and values) into highly organized representations in the mind.”

Giertz Gallery at Parkland College hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. The gallery will be closed Nov. 23 (5 p.m.) and reopens Monday, November 28 for Thanksgiving; Closed December 12 and reopens January 17 for Holiday Break.

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 door X7, turn left, 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.

Programs at the gallery are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. All events in the handicapped-accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Parkland College is a section 504/ADA-compliant institution. For accommodation, call 217/353-2802 or email crobinson@parkland.edu.

For more information on the exhibit, please call the gallery office at 217/351-2485 or visit www.parkland.edu/gallery 

Gallery talk with DON LAKE and JACK EKSTROM

Wednesday, November 2, at 6pm in the gallery.

image information: Jack Ekstrom, Fern, gouache on paper, 42” x 55”, 2008

We invite you to come, listen, and converse with Jack Ekstrom & Don Lake, Professors Emeriti of Parkland College, about Parkland College 50^th: Art and Design Alumni Exhibition and reflect on the history of the Art and Design Program at Parkland College.

All events in the handicapped-accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Fall gallery hours are Monday–Thursday from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. and Saturday noon-2pm.

Giertz Gallery is located at 2400 West Bradley Avenue in Champaign, IL on the Parkland College campus. To find the gallery when classes are in session, we suggest using the M parking lots. Enter through door X-7, turn left, and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point on the first floor, where the gallery is located. The gallery windows overlook the outdoor fountain area. This exhibit is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. For more information, call Lisa Costello, gallery director, at 217/351-2485 or visit the gallery website at www.parkland.edu/gallery.

Parkland College 50th: Art and Design Alumni Exhibition

Parkland College Alumni Art, Design Exhibit Opens Sept. 26

Exhibit: Monday, September 26–Saturday, November 5, Giertz Gallery 

Reception: September 29, 5–7 p.m., gallery lounge, with welcoming remarks by President Tom Ramage and gallery talk by Chris Berti and Joan Stolz, 6 p.m.; music by the Parkland Guitar Ensemble

Additional Programming:

Closing Reception: Saturday, November 5, noon–2 p.m., with gallery talk by Barry Blinderman, 1 p.m.

Gallery Talk by Don Lake and Jack Ekstrom: Thursday, October 27, 6 p.m.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Works by Parkland College Art and Design alumni will feature in an exhibition at the college's Giertz Gallery beginning Sept. 26.

The contemporary art juried exhibition, "Parkland College 50th: Art and Design Alumni Exhibition", will run through Nov. 5. Curator for the exhibit is Barry Blinderman, director of the University Galleries of Illinois State University. 

Giertz Gallery Director Lisa Costello said the show provides an opportunity to celebrate Parkland's 50th anniversary and share the past with many familiar faces.

"It has been terrific to receive calls and emails about the exhibit from former students and to hear the impact Parkland has made in their lives," she remarked. "I am looking forward to seeing their work in the exhibition, hosting the reception, and attending our additional exhibit programs, including the gallery talk by retired faculty members Jack Ekstrom and Don Lake. Both of them taught in Parkland's Art and Design Program and were critical in the college's formative years."

Participating artists include Jodi Adams, Jenny Barrett, Jason Bentley, Jess Beyler, Jennifer Bonilla-Edgington, Daniel Bornt, Taylor Braasch, Felicia Breen, Cindy Carlson, Marsha Daniels, Sabrina Donnelly, Kyle Dunn, Christopher Evans, Jeff Evans, Bob Fish, Jacob Foran, Viktoria Ford, Todd Frahm, Julio Gaytan, Megan Hinds, Sarah Holt, Michael Hughes, Sandra Hynds, Eric Inskip, Siti Mariah Jackson, Dusten Jenkins, Lauren Jenkins, Judy Jones, Jan Kappes, Lisa Kesler, Bruce Kloth, Patricia Knowles, Rick Larimore, Paula McCarty, Ann McDowell, Lawrence McGown, Michèle Miller, Charlie Mitsdarfer, Patricia Monigold, Georgia Morgan, Amanda Mulcahy, Jason Patterson, Ruta Rauber, Laura Reiss, Rebecca Renwick, Ann Rund, Barbara Ryan, Judy Seyb, Shaheen Shorish, Emily Sur, Bonnie Switzer, Michael Thomas, Yu Wang, Rosalind Faiman Weinberg, Charles Wisseman, Sarah Wisseman, Shania Wright, and Michael Zachay. 

During the closing reception, Saturday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m., Blinderman will speak about his career as a curator of contemporary art, educator, and essayist. As director of University Galleries since 1987, Blinderman curated the first U.S. museum surveys for David Wojnarowicz, Michelle Grabner, Martin Wong, Jane Dickson, Keith Haring, Siebren Versteeg, Jeanne Dunning, Tony Tasset, and others. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Lannan Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. His most recently curated exhibitions include "Hard Love", at Martos Gallery in New York (2016); "Walter Robinson: Paintings and Other Indulgences", at University Galleries and The Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia (2014-2016); and "Judy Glantzman: Face to Face" (2013), University Galleries.

All events in the handicapped-accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Fall gallery hours are Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. and Saturday noon–2 p.m.

Giertz Gallery is located at 2400 W. Bradley Ave. in Champaign, Illinois, on the Parkland College campus. To find the gallery when classes are in session, the staff suggests using the M parking lots. Enter through door X7, turn left, and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point on the first floor, where the gallery is located. The gallery windows overlook the outdoor fountain area. 

This exhibit is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. For more information, call Lisa Costello, gallery director, at 217/351-2485 or visit online at parkland.edu/gallery.

2016 Parkland College Art and Design Faculty Exhibition

Image Info: Denise Seif, Micro Series, 2015, 2.5” x 2.5”, copper and enamel

Faculty Art Exhibition at Giertz Gallery Sept. 1

Works by 14 artists; gallery talk at 6pm by Denise Seif, music at reception by the Sam Peters Trio, Thursday Sept. 1, 5–7 p.m.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Giertz Gallery at Parkland College is proud to present the 2016 Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, opening Monday, Aug. 22.

An annual showcase of art created by faculty, the exhibition runs through Sept. 17 and features sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, video, photography, metals, ceramics, and graphic design. Exhibiting faculty members include Louis Ballard, Chris Berti, Lisa Costello, Bryan Heaton, Melinda McIntosh, Laura O’Donnell, Denise Seif, Peggy Shaw, Sheila Schneider, Joan Stolz, Matthew Watt, Kelly White, Liza Wynette, and Paul Young.

An opening reception for the artists will take place Thursday Sept. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. and will include a gallery talk by Seif and music by the Sam Peters Trio.

During her gallery talk at 6 p.m., Seif, Art History and Metalsmithing Faculty and Program Director for the Art Department at Parkland College, will discuss her work in the exhibition. “The work in this year's faculty exhibition is a continuation of my explorations in metals,” Seif says. “I tend to have a couple of directions in my work, one that is formal, often with inspirations from nature and my observations and a second that is more personal and influenced by family and circumstances. Sometimes these two directions overlap as is true with this year's work. The Micro Series initially started with thinking about growing cultures in petri dishes with my Dad, and then doing this over the summer with my daughter. The petri dish influenced the circle format and the scale for many of the pieces in this series.”

Additionally, Peggy Shaw, 2016 Outstanding Faculty Award recipient and Associate Professor of Photography, will give an Artist Lecture about her work on Wednesday, September 7 at high noon in the gallery. Shaw teaches Digital Photography, Darkroom Photography, Video Production and Photography Portfolio classes in the Art and Design Program. Shaw received her Master of Fine Arts degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her photography has been shown nationally and has won numerous awards in both photography and video, including fellowships from both the Illinois Arts Council and Arts Midwest/National Education Association Regional.

The Art and Design Faculty Exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Fall gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 2 p.m. The gallery will be closed Monday, Sept. 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 door X-7, turn left, 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.

[Editor’s note: Photos of exhibit works available; please contact lcostello@parkland.edu.]

Travels: Works by Chung Chak and Travis Linville

Exhibit: Monday, June 13–Thursday, August 4, 2016

Reception: Thursday, June 16, 5–7pm

            Gallery Talk at 6:30pm by Travis Linville

            Music by Big Blue Stem

Artist Lectures:

Thursday, June 16 at 11am by Travis Linville  

Thursday, July 14 at 6:30pm by Chung Chak

Additional Lectures:

Wednesday, June 29 at 11am by Chris Berti and Lisa Costello

Morocco: Pattern and Embellishment

Tuesday, July 12 at 1pm by Jody Littleton

The Study Abroad Experience

image information:

Chung Chak, "Hello Mirrors, Japan," archival digital print, 42" x 42", 2015

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Giertz Gallery at Parkland College presents a two-person art exhibition exploring ideas and experiences surrounding travel.

“Travels: Works by Chung Chak and Travis Linville” opens Monday, June 13 and runs through Tuesday, August 4, 2016. In conjunction with the exhibit, a reception honoring the artists is scheduled for Thursday, June 16 from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring a gallery talk by Travis Linville at 6:30 p.m.

An additional artist lecture in the gallery will feature Chung Chak on Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. This evening lecture is co-sponsored by Champaign-Urbana Design Organization. This “Meet The Pros” lecture will include Chak’s versatile talents as both a photographer and a graphic designer. Other programming during this summer exhibition will feature two additional presentations that involve travel. The first presentation on Wednesday, June 29^th by Chris Berti and Lisa Costello is “Morocco: Pattern and Embellishment”, that focuses on their visit to Morocco through a Title VI Grant to further internationalize the curriculum. The second presentation “The Study Abroad Experience” will be by Jody Littleton on Tuesday, July 12 at 1pm. Littleton, an associate professor of speech and the Study Abroad Coordinator for Parkland College, will discuss study abroad and it’s relevance for career building and personal growth. The exhibit, reception and lectures are free and open to the public.

Chung Chak, originally born in Hong Kong, has been teaching at The College of New Jersey since 2001 as an associate professor of graphic design. In 1991, he received a BFA in graphic design from SUNY New Paltz, in 1995 he received his MFA in graphic design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He has had many solo exhibitions all over the country.

“As an image-maker formally trained as a designer, I have found my voice… I view my imagery as timeless visual poetry with psychological impact where viewers can no longer remain passive. Conceptualizing and resolving a solution is as rewarding as the seeing the result.”

“I have always felt that we have very little control of our lives. Therefore I enjoy the process of photomontage because I can randomly connect unrelated persons, events, and environments. Although my subjects may never have the chance to meet in reality, they are permanently bound within my artwork. By taking this approach, I find myself in absolute power to control and design.”

Travis Linville, of Elgin, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Miami University in 1999, and a Master of Fine Arts from Clemson University in 2003. He has been teaching photography and other art courses at the college level since 2000, arriving at ECC in 2009.

“Though this collection of photographs is less characteristic of my typical personal work, it gave me the opportunity to practice photography in a different style,” said Linville. “As an educator, I am also a perpetual student and regularly seek ways to work outside my comfort zone. In this way, I expand my knowledge of my chosen field both technically and creatively and can bring those experiences back to the classroom.”

Giertz Gallery at Parkland College reduced summer hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.  

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 door X-7, turn left, 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.

Programs at the gallery are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Parkland College is a section 504/ADA-compliant institution; for accommodation, call 217/351-2505.

For more information on the exhibit, please call the gallery office at 217/351-2485 or visit www.parkland.edu/gallery.