Giertz Gallery’s newest exhibition showcases the intricacies of ceramics. Come see molded spirit. Come and be inspired.
The fridge to a child is a monolith of achievement. To get a report card, picture, or macaroni art up there is the first challenge. The first gallery, where your imagination is a home to be viewed and adored around the dinner table. That feeling of being seen, appreciated, and understood, to many, is the reason for art. What is art if not a language, a form of communication, thoughtfully indirect? Though art is appreciated, going to school for art is often not. “How will you make money, or get a job?” Giertz Gallery at Parkland is here to dispel those misguided questions.
Parkland has had an art gallery since 1981, but not until 2014 was it dedicated to retired faculty member Donna Hyland Giertz in recognition of her career at Parkland and her and her husband, Fred Giertz’s generous donation towards the gallery. Throughout its duration, the gallery has strived to “promote the development of artists talent and aesthetic awareness while at the same time expanding the audience’s appreciation of various art forms.”
Going back to the dinner table is where we will find the current art form up for display, the intimate world of ceramics. The Giertz Gallery has a ceramic exhibition every other year, but this year is especially important. It is the last to be curated by Professor Chris Berti after 35 years of outstanding work at Parkland. His presence can be seen firsthand by the pieces he was able to secure. I challenge anybody walking down towards the L wing to not turn their head at the mystical creatures through the glass; we are lucky to host these artworks.
Berti tells us why people find themselves so tantalized by these forms in his curatorial essay.
“Because we are living creatures, we are innately drawn to images of other living creatures. Thus, using human and animal figures makes a work immediately accessible and has the potential to address ideas in the world around us.”
Being intrigued is the first step. The second step inside the gallery is where you will be met by well-informed student gallery stewards. Guides like cheerful Erin Rogers, an art student at Parkland, who loves being back in person and is almost always sporting some floral attire. Guiding a visitor’s venture amongst the art is important. But, she must also protect the works of art. When visiting, make sure to be aware of your surroundings, take off your backpack if it is large, avoid touching anything, and please be respectful.
With a curious eye and respectful distance, it is time to inspect the art, but how? Lisa Costello, the Art Gallery Director has some advice. The first step is love and good company. The best part about visiting new art is the conversations. Art is built on community, building together, and inspiring each other. Being able to bounce ideas off each other and connect is why visiting art museums is a popular romantic adventure. If on a solo meditative journey of introspection, no worries, the art is the perfect pensive partner. Second, have an open mind, enjoy the work, and try not to take it too seriously. While trying to find the message woven in the fibers is important, don’t forget to appreciate the physicality of the piece: the brush strokes, the colors, the shininess of the glaze. After all, it is a puzzle, have fun. Lastly, knowledge, the more you know and understand about the artist who has put their literal sweat, soul, and sometimes body into the work, the better your appreciation will be for every little detail.
Like artist Janis Mars Wunderlich, an Illinois artist with a background steeped with an appreciation for nature and the divine-human. She was one of 10 children of a devout Mormon family of which her Cherokee storyteller-folk artist grandfather is a huge inspiration. Her works have traveled all over the country as well as internationally in places like Taiwan and Germany. In 2020, Wunderlich was awarded an individual artist fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council. I cannot stress how lucky we are to feature her work. On November 11 at 10:30 am in lecture room L111, she will be speaking to us. Wunderlich will be working with Parkland to provide a Zoom session for those unable to be in person! You can register for the event here.
Vulnerabilities by Wunderlich on display in the Giertz Galley
Photo by Nate Carsten
Our humble Giertz Gallery gets around 10-12,000 eyes studying each crafted form. Our gallery is one of many places for art to be viewed. In Urbana, there is the Cinema Gallery and in Champaign, there’s the newly opened Rec Club, an artist experience of tattoos and original work. On the 13th and 14th of November, there will be an Urbana and Savoy arts and crafts fair.
There is work, money, and freedom in art. For any artist, getting their work shown and appreciated is the goal. Making money will follow, and art is the living.
