Parkland College Names Art Gallery for Donna Hyland Giertz

Parkland College has named its art gallery after college trustee and former faculty member Donna Giertz.

Giertz and her husband, Fred Giertz, recently provided a generous gift to support the Parkland Art Gallery, according to Parkland College Foundation Director Linda Myette. In recognition of this gift and Giertz’s 20+ years of service to Parkland, the college has named the existing gallery "The Donna Hyland Giertz Gallery," also known as "The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College."

Official recognition of the renaming will take place Thursday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m., when the gallery will hold a dedication ceremony during its annual Art and Design Faculty Exhibition Reception.

Opened year-round to the public since 1981 and free of charge, the art gallery features a professionally designed space situated in the main part of campus, central to student life and readily available to the community.

It is a teaching gallery, holding annual exhibitions and educational programs that promote the development of artists’ talent and aesthetic awareness. At the same time, the gallery strives to meet the cultural needs of its surrounding communities, expanding general audiences’ appreciation of various art forms. It presents exhibitions by contemporary artists of regional and national status and illustrates a wide range of traditional and innovative work.

For many years, Donna and Fred Giertz have shown dedication to the arts and education in this community. Their contributions to the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois helped to create the Fred and Donna Giertz Education Center. Dedicated to integrating art appreciation and art history into humanities and science instruction at all levels, the center circulates education materials to schools, libraries, and other community sites, including videos, teacher manuals, art prints, art replicas, and more.

Donna Giertz was a professor of marketing, management and international business at Parkland from 1980 to 2003, and was elected to the Parkland Board of Trustees in April 2005. She is a graduate of Nazareth College, Rochester, New York and earned both an MS in Personnel Counseling and an MBA from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She taught business-related courses at Miami University from 1973 to 1980. Fred Giertz is a professor of economics at the University of Illinois. The Giertzes are active community members, involved with such organizations as C-U Sunrise Rotary, Krannert Art Museum Council, Krannert Art Museum Director’s Circle, Champaign Township, as well as with their Precinct Committee.

The Giertz Gallery will continue to offer an extensive exhibition calendar that includes solo and group shows. The gallery hosts the State of the Art: National Biennial Ceramics Invitational on alternating years and engages a guest curator so that the exhibitions continue to reflect current and varied perspectives. Its annual Art and Design Faculty Exhibition highlights the talent of the Faculty at Parkland College in Art and Graphic Design and supports the educational mission of the Fine Arts Program. In addition, two juried exhibitions of works, by Parkland Art and Design and Graphic Design program students, provide practice in exhibiting art work in a professional space and allow the community to see the talents and efforts of emerging artists.

To interpret many of its exhibitions and broaden its audience base, the Giertz Gallery will continue to hold artist receptions, gallery lectures and tours; "For Art's Sake" videotaped interviews with artists aired on the Parkland College Television Station; its popular High School Art Seminar; screenings of the Global Lens Film Series; and other special events.

Art & Design Students Win Awards

Four Parkland Students won merit awards at this year's Illinois Community College Juried Exhibition at Governors State University's Fine Art Gallery. To view some of the works in the show, including the four Parkland award winners visit http://www.govst.edu/uploadedFiles/Academics/Colleges_and_Programs/CAS/Center_for_Law_Enforcement_Technology_Collaboration%281%29/CLETC_Inside_Pages/2014ICCJE_AWARDSforweb.pdf

We are very proud of our talented students and want to congratulate all six who were chosen to exhibit in this year's show.

Chan Bao - Merit Award
Julio Gaytan - Merit Award
Leila Ghasempoor - Merit Award
Eunsook Park - Merit Award
Erin Rogers
Al Tindle

Art & Design student lectures airing on PCTV

Last semester two of our talented Art & Design students gave presentations on experiences they recently had away from our campus and now you can view those lectures on PCTV. The lectures will air this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11am and 9pm.

In 2011, Eric was awarded the Don Lake Art Scholarship and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Scholarship. That summer Eric traveled to Arrowmont in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains to attend a week-long workshop in resin casting. Asking himself, “Why not?” He encased a raw slab of bacon in resin. This piece won a Merit Award in the 2012 Governor’s State Community College Juried Art Exhibition. Always the curious learner, Eric traveled to Guinea, West Africa to learn traditional lost-wax bronze casting through Antioch University. For six months Eric apprenticed with master caster, Sekou Berete. 

After graduating from Parkland in May 2013 with an AFA, Ruta Rauber continued her exploration of metal smithing and ceramics. She received the Metals Award in 2012 and is the 2013 recipient of the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts Scholarship. “Beyond the Bezel” gave her the opportunity to explore the use of cold connections (rivets, tubing, prongs, etc.) in combination with found objects. Her supply kit not only included sheets of copper and brass, copper wire and solder but also foreign coins, bottle caps, postage stamps, game pieces, metal scraps and other ephemera. “The use of cold connections allows me the freedom to assemble components that would not normally go together. I am drawn to collage and mixed media and am challenged in combining old with new, traditional with non-traditional, permanent with ephemeral. Objects that would otherwise be cast off or forgotten in a junk drawer are given a new life as pieces of wearable art.”-R. Rauber 

Art Faculty Featured

Parkland College art faculty talent will be featured on the national stage next week during a ceramic arts educators conference in Milwaukee.

Art and Design faculty Chris Berti and Laura O'Donnell will play a role at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts' 48th annual conference, March 19–22. O'Donnell, an art history instructor at Parkland, will be the discussion leader for conference topic "The Figure In, On, or Of Clay" while Berti, a sculptor and Parkland professor of ceramics, will serve as curator for a featured exhibit, "The Figure in Clay," to be held in conjunction with the conference.

O'Donnell's session will explore why the human form has remained such a fascinating subject and concept for thousands of years in ceramic art. "The figure in, on, or of clay is an expression of both its subject matter and its physical medium," O'Donnell said in a statement about the session. "The past decade has witnessed a proliferation of ceramic artists using the figure. What do they say about contemporary society?"

O’Donnell has an MA in Art History and an MFA in Ceramics both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her writing has been published in Ceramics Art and Perception, Ceramics Technical, and Critical Ceramics, as well as in several exhibition catalogues. Her artwork appears in 10 of Lark’s 500 Series books featuring ceramic art, and she exhibits regularly at Cinema Gallery in Urbana.

As part of the conference, “The Figure in Clay” exhibition, curated by Berti, will be held at the Tory Folliard Gallery in Milwaukee March 19–April 19. This showing examines the work of an international group of contemporary artists who use clay as a medium to interpret the figure as both subject and content.

Berti is an active NCECA exhibitor with works in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington, DC; Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and the Frederick Meijer Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

-Article by Ruthie Counter

Eric Shine in News-Gazette

Check out the great article that was in the News-Gazette yesterday about Parkland Art & Design student, Eric Shine. Eric's work is currently on display in the Gallery Lounge display case.
http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2013-10-20/parkland-student-learned-make-do-%E2%80%94-and-make-art-%E2%80%94-africa.html

Artist Lecture to be given by Art & Design student Eric Shine

Artist Lecture:

Thursday, October 10
12-1pm
In the Art Gallery

Eric Shine is a current Fine Arts student at Parkland College. In 2011, Eric was awarded the Don Lake Art Scholarship and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Scholarship. That summer Eric traveled to Arrowmont in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains to attend a week-long workshop in resin casting. Asking himself, “Why not?” He encased a raw slab of bacon in resin. This piece won a Merit Award in the 2012 Governor’s State Community College Juried Art Exhibition.

Always the curious learner, Eric traveled to Guinea, West Africa to learn traditional lost-wax bronze casting through Antioch University. For six months Eric apprenticed with master caster, Sekou Berete. 

Join us and  listen as Eric shares his experience traveling and working in Guinea, West Africa.

Celebrate Our Progress!!!

Department of Fine and Applied Arts Construction Celebration and Beam Signing:

Join us in celebrating the construction of expanded facilities for our performing and visual arts. 
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
4-7pm - Brief ceremony at 5:30pm
C4 parking lot

Enjoy Refreshments, demonstrations and performances, and be sure to sign your name to a commemorative beam that will help support the structure.
This event is free and open to the public.

2013 Art & Design Faculty Exhibition

If you haven't already stopped by the Art Gallery to see the Parkland Art & Design Faculty Exhibition be sure to get in soon. The show closes on Saturday Sept. 21.

Ceramics Instructor, Louis Ballard, to show work

The exhibition "Ethereal Enigmas" at the Alley Gallery will open Thursday, with the artists' reception from 6 to 9 that evening.

The exhibit features two artists' works: abstract, highly textured paintings by Hayley Sutton, formerly of Rossville and currently working in San Francisco; and ceramic vessels by Native American Louis Ballard.

The Alley Gallery exhibit will be on view through Aug. 25 inside the offices of Crose Insurance, 113 N. Vermilion St., Danville. Hours for the gallery are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment.

Parkland Art Gallery Scholarship and Award Winners!

The Parkland Art Gallery proudly announces the scholarship and award winners of its 2013 Art and Design Student Juried Exhibition, on display in the gallery through May 4.

The exhibition comprises student pieces produced in Parkland Art and Design classes within the last year, featuring Photography, Painting, Drawing, Metals, Sculpture, Three-Dimensional Design, Two-Dimensional Design, Color Theory, and Ceramics course work. Members of Parkland’s art faculty selected exhibit works from approximately 300 submissions. Students, faculty, and the public can see the strength and quality of the artwork chosen, demonstrating tenacity and commitment, and revealing the development of critical thinking and visual perception.

During the exhibit reception held April 11, scholarships were presented to the following art and design students. The Underwood-Alger Art Scholarship was awarded to Arwen Sabas of Champaign; the Don Lake Art Scholarship, to Catherine Cruickshank of Urbana; the Robert Ralph Ford Memorial Scholarship, to Joseph Asselin of Champaign; and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Scholarship, to Ruta Rauber of Champaign.

Monetary awards presented included the Dr. David M. and Shirley A. Jones Student Art Award for work of outstanding artistic achievement, given to Jamie Hedrick (Rantoul); the Parkland President’s Award to Saeree Kim (Urbana); the Blair Kling Award to Melody Bilbo (Champaign); the Fine and Applied Arts Chair Award for Excellence to Megan Mercier (Mahomet); the Art and Design Faculty Award to Megan Hinds (Champaign); the Metals Award of Artistic Distinction to Eric Wildhagen (Champaign); and the Art Coop Award to Julia Galaway (Monticello).

Purchase awards for artwork to be included in the Parkland College Permanent Collection went to: Crystal Day (Gibson City), Drew Dunham (Monticello), Mark Jagodzinski (Champaign), Suzanne Lowry (Mahomet), and Elizabeth Neathery (DeLand). Abigail Eichstedt (Mahomet) received the Parkland College Library Purchase Award.

Merit Awards for outstanding work went to the following students: Taylor Braasch (Saybrook), Kam Yan Chan (Champaign), Donna Chapel (Champaign), Carmen Egolf (Savoy), Benji Frazzetto (Champaign), Colleen Freund (Champaign), Julia Galaway (Monticello), Cassandra Goethe (Mahomet), Nic Hansen (Champaign), Justin Novak (Urbana),  Eunsook Park (Champaign), Haedeun Park (Champaign), Ruta Rauber (Champaign), Viviane Rezende (Urbana), Erin Rogers (Sadorus), Karen Scott (Villa Grove), Al Tindle (Monticello), Bart Tredway  (Urbana), and Henry Wilkinson (Monticello).

Art and Design Student Exhibition Participants:

Bement:  Gary Price

Bondville:        Brittany Hardy

Champaign:     Muhammad Ahmad, Ray Arseneau, Joseph Asselin, Angela Barajas, Arrmia Benton, Melody Bilbo, Marilyn Blanzy-Myers, Kam Yan Chan, Donna Chapel, Haley Cox, Anthony Cutforth, Victor Feldman, Donald Ferguson, Rachel Flood, Divina Fourman, Benji Frazzetto, Colleen Freund, Joan Gary, Pavithran Golconda, Nicholas Hansen, Kelsey Heckman, Megan Hinds, Mark Jagodzinski, Linda R. Jordan, Rashmi Kapoor, Lauren Leohner, Jennifer Lewis, Clare Margiotta, Patricia Monigold, Eunsook Park, Haedeun Park, Ruta Rauber, Feby Riani, Arwen Sabas, Emily Sur, Sara Taber, Yang Tai, Joseph Talavera, Linda Weiner, Marilyn Wendler, Eric Wildhagen, and Travis Wiley.

Danville:          Kelly Acton

Decatur:          Daniel  Buckley

DeLand:          Elizabeth Neathery

Fairmount:      Chloe Vecellio

Gibson City:   Crystal Day

Mahomet:       Briana  Broihahn, Rich Crawford, Abigail Eichstedt, Cassandra Goethe, Suzanne Lowry, Ashleigh Martin, Megan Mercier, Angela Norman, Brittany Norman, Jeramy       Sides, June Volkening

Mansfield:       Katherine Baker

Milford:          Molly Murray

Monticello:     Drew Dunham, Julia Galaway, Makenzie Hryhorysak, Junsara King, Al Tindle, and Henry Wilkinson

Newman:         James Rigdon

Ogden:             Scott Hunter

Onarga:            Julio Gaytan

Pesotum:         Mara LaPayne, Madelyn Witruk

Philo:               Jessica Adrian

Rantoul:          Jamie Hedrick

Sadorus:          Erin Rogers

Saint Joseph:   Sylvia Eaton

Savoy:              Alex Danner, Margarita Dmitrieva, Carmen Egolf, Katrina Reed

Saybrook:        Taylor Braasch

Seymour:         Hannah Watson

Teutopolis:     Angela Worman

Tolono:           Stacey Kinney

Urbana:           Chang Bao, William Campo, Catherine Cruickshank, Michael Fuerst, Peter Garrett, Anisha Gupta, Sergio Juan Diego, Lori Kendall, Saeree Kim, Justin Novak, Carol Schmidt, Bart Tredway, HaNa Won, Viviane Rezende

Villa Grove: Karen Scott

White Heath:   Dillon Knapp

Life Drawing Class Fieldtrip

The Parkland ART 221 Figure Drawing class at a recent trip to the Chicago Art Institute Print and Drawing Study Room. Looking cold but happy!

Congratulations to Parkland's talented faculty member, Peggy Shaw. Her work, "Hover," is being featured as part of the 40 North 88 West "Sky Gallery!" You can see it at Hwy 45, 200ft north of Curtis Rd.

“Hover is a series of deep portraits exploring both the physical and spiritual presence of a person in solitude, and the threshold between the observer and the observed. With the selective clarity of deep ice, these anonymous portraits are a membrane that absorbs the coming together of fact, imagination, and memory." Peggy is an Associate Professor in Photography/Video.

The canvas print features an original oil on canvas painted by John Ekstrom in 2003, which is part of Parkland College's Art Collection.  It entered the collection as a gift of the Illinois Capital Development Board, Art in Architecture Program.  The original painting currently hangs in the D-wing for public viewing.  


We are selling the print for $150 and in a limited edition of 100.  Proceeds will benefit the care of Parkland College's Permanent Art Collection.  The print measures 24" x 36" x 1.5" and is ready to hang. If you are interested in purchasing a print contact the Parkland Art Gallery by phone at 351-2485 or email at ParklandArtGallery@parkland.edu.

Artisans 10+

Artisans 10+ will be presenting an art show at Art Coop in Lincoln
Square from March 8 to April 5.  The opening reception is on Friday,
March 8 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.. 

Many of the artists in this show are Parkland Art & Design Alumni.

Artist Reception for John Ekstrom This Thursday

Check out the article featuring John Ekstrom that was in the News Gazette then come meet him in person at an artist reception on Thursday, February 14, 6-8 pm. There will be a gallery talk by Ekstrom at 7 p.m. and music by Parkland College Guitar Ensemble. 

 

Originally from Chicago, Ekstrom received both his BFA and MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He lived in Paris for a number of years prior to joining the faculty at Parkland College, where he taught painting, drawing, and figure drawing from 1979 through 2001. Ekstrom considers himself first and foremost a teacher and has influenced many Parkland alumni and artists in the community with his talent, energy and humor. Since retiring, he continues his art practice and travels frequently to southern California, a source of inspiration for much of his newer work. The retrospective will include artworks that have been produced throughout his artistic career and will feature work on paper as well as paintings. 

 

Ekstrom will give an additional talk and drawing demonstration on Tuesday, February 19 at 1:15 pm in the Gallery. 

These events are free and open to the public.

 

Artisans 10+ Exhibition

Artisans 10+ invites you to our upcoming exhibition, "Branching Out,"
to be held at the Springer Cultural Center from Friday, October 19
through Wednesday November 21.

The opening reception is Friday, October 19, 6-8 PM, with music by
the string trio, the Port Consort (Fred Lawrence, Ron Laszewski, &
Geoff Muckenhirn)  Artists' talks at ~6:45 PM.

Members of the Artisans 10+ group are Sandra Batzli, Lisle Casper,
Judy Jones, Jamie Kruidenier, Jana Mason, Mary McDonald, Ann
McDowell, Dot Replinger, Ann Rund, and Bonnie Switzer.

The Springer Cultural Center is at 301 Randolph Street (corner of
Randolph and Church with parking on  the north side of the building);
hours are Mon-Thurs 8am-9pm, Fri 8am-5:30pm, Sat 9am-3 pm.  Entrance
is on the west side.

The Cardboard is Back!

Every Fall  our 3-D Design students do a cardboard project and this year is no exception. Stop by the display case outside of C118 and check out the work. This display is always a great hit with students, faculty and community members who are on campus.

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Visit

Come to the Art Gallery on Wednesday, September 19 at 12pm to learn more about MIAD's transfer student admissions process and merit scholarships!