Parkland College Art, Design Student Juried Exhibition 2017

Parkland College Art, Design Student Juried Exhibition 2017 Exhibit: April 10 to May 6, Giertz Gallery at Parkland College Reception: Thursday, April 13, 5­7 p.m., Gallery Lounge, with awards ceremony at 6 p.m. and musical performance by the Parkland Guitar Ensemble Parkland College's Art and Design Student Juried Exhibition for 2017 will be held April 10 through May 6 in the Giertz Gallery. image information: Neda Sroka, Maquette for St. Sebastian, terra cotta, 18" x 8" x 8", 2016, from Sculpture II Audiences will enjoy an impressive body of student work in photography, painting, drawing, metals, sculpture, three-dimensional design, two-dimensional design, color theory, and ceramics. Parkland Art and Design faculty will select approximately 180 works from among 350+ entries for this year's exhibit. Students taking art classes in the current academic year, beginning with summer 2016, were eligible to submit artwork.  Many of these works earn artistic awards, which will be announced during the exhibit's opening reception Thursday, April 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery lounge. The Parkland Guitar Ensemble will provide music. Art and design associate professor Matthew Watt is among many Parkland art and design faculty who look forward to this event each spring, along with students. "Making art is rigorous work; it takes grit to make it happen," Watt said. "I am always impressed with what our students can accomplish."  As students planning on a profession in the arts begin their career path at Parkland, this exhibition allows them to showcase their extensive talent as well as the exploration processes they have experienced throughout their studies in art and design, according to gallery director Lisa Costello.  "It introduces them to professional practices they will encounter in their field as well, such as working with a gallery, preparing their work for exhibition, and engaging in the jurying process that is essential for an emerging artist," Costello said. "This is a necessary component for resume building and establishing themselves as practicing artists once they graduate or transfer to a four-year college."  During the April 13 reception, an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. will recognize students whose artwork shows remarkable distinction. Student artists will receive monetary awards including the Parkland President Award, the David M. and Shirley A. Jones Student Art Award, the Metals Award for Jewelry/Metalsmithing, the Fine and Applied Arts Chair Award, the Parkland Art and Design Faculty Award, and the Blair Kling Memorial Art Award. In addition to these awards, there will also be an Art Coop Award for Sustained Studio Excellence, which allows students to purchase art supplies.  Parkland Art and Design students are eligible to earn scholarships, which are also announced during the reception; these include the Don Lake Art Scholarship, the Underwood-Alger Scholarship, and the Robert Ralph Ford Memorial Art Scholarship. Finally, the winner of the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Scholarship will be announced. Merit awardees, scholarship recipients, and certificate winners retain possession of their work, while purchase awards become part of the Parkland College Student Art Collection.  Exhibit Sneak Peek In addition to the reception and award festivities, the college will hold a Boneyard Arts Festival Sneak Peek of the new exhibit on Friday, April 7, 2­6 p.m.  "It is great to be a part of the county-wide celebration that 40 North, the Champaign County Arts Council, organizes each year," she said. Gallery Hours and Directions All events in the handicapped-accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are Monday­Thursday, 10 a.m.­7 p.m., and Saturday, noon­2 p.m.  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 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.