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.