Walking into the Giertz Gallery at Parkland College is like stepping onto a different campus. Giertz Gallery is a teaching gallery with the purpose of educating the community on art. The gallery holds about six shows a year, varying from group shows, two-person shows, solo shows, and more.
Upon stepping into the gallery, it is very likely, you will be greeted by a Parkland College art student.
“The students that sit in the gallery are usually art students, almost all of them are art majors….,” said Art Gallery director Lisa Costello, “It’s really great experience for them if they are going into art. To have that experience of working in a gallery, we kind of think of it as an internship program…. I’ve had our student workers go on to do really great things. One of [them, went on to be] the assistant director at the Art Institute of Chicago, for their gallery.”
The Giertz Gallery is open year round and free to the public. The gallery is currently showing an exhibit by artist Virginia Derryberry of Asheville, N.C. “Private Domain: Paintings by Virginia Derryberry,”
Virginia’s solo exhibition is shown through large oil paintings. Parkland’s website describes Virginia’s exhibit as a display that, “provides varied interpretations rather than a straightforward illustration of a specific narrative.” Tune into For Art’s Sake on PCTV to hear Virginia talk about her artwork in the gallery.
Future shows include the “55th Annual Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition”, and “Around the Block IV: Artists from our Neighborhood.”
“With the student show, all the students submit their work,” said Costello, “Each student in the Art and Design program can submit up to four works each, a year.”
She then goes on to talk about the layout of the gallery: “That whole space will change. [We] have temporary walls up usually, and then we have pedestals with ceramics, sculptures, and 3D design. Pieces hanging from the ceiling, and video digital, photography, it is a really cool show. We really do have a variety of different mediums.”
The student show is displayed to run from April 10-May 6. The dates for “Around the Block IV: Artists from our Neighborhood” are June 5-July 26, 2023.
“This coming summer, I am really excited, because we have a show called “Around the Block: Artists from our Neighborhood,” and that’s any artist,” said Costello, “Anybody is eligible to submit their work if they live in Champaign county or any of the surrounding counties.”
When asked, “Who decides what gets to be displayed in the gallery?” Costello responded:
Following the summer exhibits, the gallery holds a show in the fall, specifically for the faculty here at Parkland. Costello says, “The faculty show, the faculty bring in their own work, and that is always really fun. It is really great to see their work…. We’re always producing new exhibits. If you don’t like this show, you’ll like the next one.”
Lisa also encourages people to visit the art receptions held by the gallery. These receptions include live music, food and refreshments, as well as speeches from the artists currently holding exhibits in the gallery.
For more information about the Giertz Gallery click HERE. If you are interested in submitting a proposal for the student exhibition coming this summer, click HERE. For additional information about the Giertz Gallery upcoming exhibits and events, click HERE.
