Parkland's Giertz Gallery to Present "Ceramics Biennial: Detour"
A reception will be held on Thursday, November 20
The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College will present "2025 State of the Art Ceramics Biennial: Detour," beginning Monday, November 17.
Guest curators Tyler Lotz and Albion Stafford are accomplished artists, serving as faculty at the Wonsook Kim School of Art at Illinois State University, where Lotz serves as director. Their philosophical approach to curating the exhibition includes a vibrant group of contemporary ceramists. Each of the artists has, in distinct ways, diverted from the conventional or well-traveled path and, along the way, discovered new vocabularies of the ceramic vessel.
"The alternate routes they have discovered travel down pathways of material exploration, digital and manual fabrication processes, visual culture, craft, and abstraction," said Lotz and Stafford in their curatorial essay. "Deviations from the usual course provide new opportunities for seeing and understanding traditions of the ceramic medium that are bound in form, surface, and material. As these objects exist here and now, they stand as reminders of the astounding things to be seen and experienced when we, too, choose a less-traveled path."
Participating national artists include Jeremy R. Brooks from Conway, South Carolina; Stephen Creech from Indianapolis; Maxwell Henderson from Red Lodge, Montana; Lydia Johnson from Bolton, Connecticut; Joanna Powell from Helena, Montana; Alex Reed from Los Angeles; Keith Simpson from Greenwich, Connecticut; and Malcolm Mobutu Smith from Bloomington, Indiana.
A reception will be held at the gallery on Thursday, November 20 from 5:30–7 p.m. with a gallery talk by Lotz and Stafford at 6:15 p.m.
The Giertz Gallery serves as a platform for the exhibition of contemporary art, functioning as an educational resource that promotes critical thought and dialogue through the visual arts, while also acting as a cultural center for the community. Its serene campus location encourages meaningful engagement between the artwork and its viewers, facilitating a deeper understanding and appreciation of the arts.
Parkland’s diverse programming, including workshops and lectures, allows participants to experience the artwork firsthand and engage with artists about their creative processes, career paths, and artistic journeys.
The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, and noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The gallery will be closed from November 27–29 for Thanksgiving, December 15 to January 10 for winter break, and on January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This exhibition will be open until Saturday, February 7, 2026.
To find the gallery, use the M6 parking lot on the north corner of the Parkland College campus. Enter through door X-7, turn left, and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point of the first floor. The gallery windows overlook the outdoor fountain area.
The Giertz Gallery acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. All events in the accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Parkland College is a Section 504/ADA-compliant institution. For accommodations, please call 217/353-2338 or email accessibilityservices@parkland.edu.
Learn more about the exhibition at parkland.edu/gallery.
[Image: Kieth Simpson, Voxel Grotto, Stoneware and polychrome glaze, 16 x 10 x 9 inches, 2025]