The Parkland College Graphic Design: Student Juried Exhibition will be on display at the Giertz Gallery Monday, May 9 through Saturday, May 28. A reception honoring the students will be held Wednesday, May 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery lounge with an awards ceremony scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and a Gallery Talk scheduled immediately following.

As with all events in the handicapped-accessible gallery, the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

The juried exhibit highlights work completed by students in the current academic year, beginning with summer 2015. Parkland Graphic Design and Interactive Design faculty jury the show and select the most imaginative, inspiring, distinctive, innovative, unusual and memorable pieces for display in the gallery. Then local industry professionals are invited to judge the show and select the awards. This year’s judges are Kelly White, Executive Director of 40 North, and Matt Wiley, Graphic Designer at Taylor Studios.

Works in the exhibit showcase creative solutions to design problems presented to students in Parkland’s Graphic Design, Interactive Design and Illustration studio classes. Expect to see traditional print media, motion graphics, logos, branding, packaging, menus, books, publications, posters, brochures, websites, video and illustration.

“Parkland’s Graphic Design and Interactive Design programs are rooted in solving real-world visual communication problems,” said Graphic Design Program Director Paul Young. “This year's exhibition is no exception. Students are taught that design needs to fulfill a function instead of just looking pretty. And they soon figure out that the best and most memorable designs have a great concept behind them and communicate the client’s message in a creative manner.”

During the May 11 reception, an awards ceremony honoring 2016 Graphic Design student achievements will take place at 6:30 p.m. “A number of these awards that we will be giving out were donated by local businesses, clients and supporters of Parkland's Graphic Design curriculum, said Young. “We really appreciate the generous support from the people at Surface 51, The Robeson Family, [co][lab], Studio 2D, Six Demon Studio, Wesley Food Pantry and the Champaign-Urbana Design Org (CUDO). Other awards are provided by the Parkland Foundation, Parkland faculty and administration.

Immediately after the awards ceremony, Illustration instructor Liza Wynette will give a special presentation titled "The State of Contemporary Illustration." Her gallery talk will feature recent student and professional art commissioned for editorial, advertising, and other commercial applications. "Illustration is one of those professions that walk the line between fine art and commercial art," says Liza Wynette. "Both types of art need to be aesthetically beautiful, creative, and communicate a concept visually. The only real difference between fine and commercial art is its function. Where fine artists can ask questions, commercial artists have to answer them.

Parkland College is one of the few community colleges in the US that offers a series of professional illustration courses. Students who take these hands-on studio art courses leave the class with functional commercial art samples for their portfolio.

Giertz Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday noon to 2 p.m. To find the Gallery when classes are in session, use 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.

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

Parkland College Art and Design Student Juried Exhibition

[Image Information: William Smith, Still Life, oil on canvas, 20” x 16", 2015, from Painting 1]

Parkland College’s 2016 Art and Design Student Juried Exhibition will be held April 11–30 in the Giertz Gallery.

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. For this exhibit, Parkland Art and Design faculty selected approximately 180 works from more than 350 entries. Students taking art classes since summer 2015 were eligible to submit artwork.

Many of the works on display have earned artistic awards, which will be announced during the exhibit’s opening reception Thursday, April 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery lounge. The Parkland Guitar Ensemble will provide music.

Joan Stolz, a painting and drawing instructor, joins many faculty and students looking forward to this exhibit each spring. “It’s my favorite show of the year,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for us as instructors to see what our students have been making in classes other than our own.”

The student art exhibition allows budding professional artists to showcase their extensive talent and the exploration processes they have experienced in Parkland Art and Design courses, explained Giertz Gallery Director Lisa Costello.

“This show introduces them to professional practices they will encounter in their field, 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. “That kind of experience is necessary for resume building and establishing themselves as practicing artists after graduation or transfer to a four-year college.”

During the reception, the 6:30 p.m. awards ceremony will recognize artwork of merit. 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, one student will receive the Art Coop Award for Sustained Studio Excellence, which allows students to purchase art supplies.

Several Art and Design scholarships also will be announced during the reception, including the Don Lake Art Scholarship, the Underwood-Alger Scholarship, and the Robert Ralph Ford Memorial Art Scholarship. Finally, the winner of the acclaimed Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Scholarship will be announced.

Merit awardees, scholarship recipients, and certificate winners retain possession of their work. Works receiving Purchase Awards become part of the Parkland College Student Art Collection.

All events in the handicapped-accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., and Saturday, noon–2 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 Costello at 217/351-2485 or visit www.parkland.edu/gallery.

New Programs: When It All Comes Together

Last Thursday and Friday, the Spurlock Museum piloted a new program for first graders in the Champaign School District. The program complements the district's "Celebrations around the World" unit and introduces the students to celebrations not covered in the classroom. 

The program covers 3 areas of the world.  In the American Indian Cultures Gallery, the students are introduced to the powwow. They watch videos of the grass dance and jingle dress dance, discuss the regalia worn by the dancers, and learn about the drum--the heartbeat of the dances. They also do a regalia seek-and-find game. In the European Cultures Gallery, the students celebrate a birthday in England. They each get a piece of pretend cake that has the picture of a charm on it.  The charms are used to predict the child's future (e.g., a ring means the person will be happily married). After the cake, the students play a game called "Tray," where they get a short look at a tray covered in various small objects, then the tray is hidden and the children try to remember everything they saw.  In the Asian Cultures Gallery, the children are greeted by a hina matsuri, a set of dolls and furniture representing the upper class of Japanese Heian culture (794–1185 CE). This set is brought out in honor of Girl's Day each year.  The boys are not forgotten, though, as the program includes bringing out the carp kites (windsocks) that are flown outside of the house on Children's Day (originally Boy's Day).

Putting the program together started with a meeting with Kristen Morris, Teaching and Learning Coordinator for the Unit 4 Schools. She brought us all the lesson plans and supplementary materials used in the classroom unit, so that we would know what was already covered, and she served as a coordinator with the first grade teachers once the program features and available dates were set. Working with district staff is incredibly helpful and appreciated. Things go so much more smoothly. 

Three members of the Education staff each took charge of creating the activities for one of the galleries, and together the staff worked out the logistics of group flow around the building and timing for each of the parts. As our Education staff is short one person this fall, we have fewer people to lead tours, so we talked to Kristen about trying something we had never done before: having a guided program where the classroom teacher guided one of the parts. For the Celebrations tour, the teachers were sent detailed instructions for leading the birthday party activities.  They all seemed to have a wonderful time "predicting" their students' future and playing the "Tray" game.  Some of them even found a way to link the game to activities they were doing in math. 

At the end of each day, everyone was smiling--celebrating the success of the pilot tours. Even when a problem appeared (for example, one of the trays was knocked off the table and broken), things were taken care of in stride. Being flexible and thinking on the fly is just part of the job.  We are eager to get back the evaluations that were sent to the teachers so we can find ways to make the experience even better.

"Coffee and Tea: Cups and Dessert"

Benefit for Giertz Gallery at Parkland College

Take home a handcrafted cup, enjoy delicious food and beverages, traditional Irish music, and silent auction!

Select from among a stunning array of handcrafted ceramic cups and enjoy music and bakery-fresh desserts during “Coffee and Tea: Cups and Dessert,” Giertz Gallery’s biennial fundraiser scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the gallery lounge at Parkland College.

Ticket includes selecting a beautiful handmade ceramic cup generously donated by Parkland College Ceramics program faculty and students. The benefit features delicious desserts baked fresh by the Parkland College Hospitality program, hot tea and freshly brewed coffee provided by Columbia Street Roastery, and traditional Irish music by Fair Play.

Perfect for holiday gifts (or for yourself), a silent auction rounds out the event’s festivities. Guests may place bids on various artworks donated by students and teachers of the Art and Design program. These works of art include vases, bowls, teapots, handmade jewelry, and a photograph donated by Craig McMonigal.

Tickets to the gallery benefit are $30 or two for $50, with advanced purchase recommended; cups will be chosen on a first come, first serve basis. To purchase tickets, please contact the Giertz Gallery office at 217/351-2485, visit our website at www.parkland.edu/gallery or stop by the Giertz Gallery. Many of the silent auction pieces may be viewed ahead of time on the Giertz Gallery website. All proceeds will support the Giertz Gallery.

2015 State of the Art: Ceramics Invitational curated by Chris Berti

Exhibit: Monday, November 16, 2015– Saturday, February 6, 2016

Reception: Thursday, November 19, 5–7 p.m.

Gallery Talk by Chris Berti at 6:30 p.m.

Music by Parkland Guitar Ensemble

Pre-exhibit artist lecture: Doug Jeppesen, Thursday, November 12 at 9am in room C-191

Additional artist lecture: Randy Carlson, Wednesday, January 27 at 1pm in room C-191

image: Beth Lo, Swimmers Cups, porcelain, 4" x 4" x4", 2015

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Giertz Gallery at Parkland College will host works by ceramic artists from across the U.S. during its "2015 State of the Art: Ceramics Invitational" opening Monday, Nov. 16. Curated by Parkland Art and Design Professor Chris Berti, the exhibit will run through Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. A reception will be held Thursday, Nov. 19, 5-7 p.m. in the gallery lounge that features a curatorial talk by Chris Berti at 6:30 p.m., music by the Parkland Guitar Ensemble, and refreshments. Both the ceramics exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

Giertz Gallery at Parkland College presents Four by One, a group ceramic exhibition with each artist contributing four works, focused on how ceramic artists often create works that reinforce each other so that the whole is stronger than the sum of the parts. These four works may be either two pairs or one set of four or even four bodies of work.  The works may be utilitarian, sculptural, or both. This exhibition allows contemporary ceramic artists to investigate form, surface, and other processes while utilizing techniques they’ve mastered. The artists include Randy Carlson, Sunshine Cobb, Michael Corney, Paul Eshelman, Meredith Host, Doug Jeppesen, Jan McKeachie Johnston, Randy Johnston, Beth Lo, Joe Pintz, and Luba Sharipan.

“This is a terrific group of artists.”  Chris Berti said, speaking about the show. “ I think the work in this exhibition begins to represent some of the exciting things happening in ceramics today.”

The exhibition will include two visiting artists from Illinois including Doug Jeppesen and Randy Carlson. Jeppesen’s visit includes a  pre-exhibit lecture and demonstration in the ceramics studio (room C-191) on Thursday, November 12 with a lecture at 9am followed by a demonstration. Doug is an Associate Professor of Art/Ceramics at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois where he has taught full time since 1998.  He specializes in wood firing and has built a number of different styled wood fired kilns at the college including an anagama kiln. Doug has presented workshops at area colleges and universities, he was a panel member during the International Wood Firing Conference at Northern Arizona University and most recently he was a presenter at the 2^nd European Wood Fire Conference hosted by Guladagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Skaelskor Denmark.

Randy Carlson will also give a lecture and demonstration on Wednesday, January 27 at 1pm in the ceramics studio (room C-191). Carlson worked as a production potter in Minnesota, Maine and Wisconsin before joining the faculty of Bradley University ‘s Department of Art, Peoria, Illinois in 1993. He has recently had work published in Ceramic Monthly magazine and Lark Books 500 Pitchers and 500 Teapots.

In addition, please save the date for "Coffee and Tea: Cups and Dessert," the biennial benefit for the Parkland Art Gallery set for Dec. 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the gallery lounge. Tickets will include selecting a beautiful handmade cups donated by Parkland faculty and students, live music by Fair Play featuring traditional Irish music, tasty desserts provided by Parkland College Hospitality Program, and coffee and tea. A silent auction of ceramic works—perfect for holiday gifts (or for yourself)—will round out the evening’s festivities. Tickets are $30 (2 for $50) and may be purchased at the Giertz Gallery, or through the art gallery office by calling 217/351-2485 or emailing giertzgallery@parkland.edu. Tickets will also be on sale Nov. 19 during the reception.

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 November 25 (5pm) – 30; December 14 – January 11, and January 18.

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. 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.