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Giertz Gallery to Host Experiencing Veterans and Artists Collaboration Print Project
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Giertz Gallery to Host Experiencing Veterans and Artists Collaboration Print Project

The Giertz Gallery will host the Experiencing Veterans and Artists Collaboration Print Project beginning Monday, October 7.

The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College will host the Experiencing Veterans and Artists Collaboration Print Project (EVAC) beginning Monday, October 7.

The traveling exhibition, which will be open until Tuesday, November 12, brings together veterans and artists. EVAC curators interviewed veterans about their experiences, and artists made an edition of prints based on their interpretation of those narratives.

The prints, exhibited alongside excerpts from the transcribed interviews, combine oral histories and visual imagery, offering multiple examples of the power of storytelling. The EVAC project was designed and curated to promote a better understanding of veteran experiences and bridge the gap between military and civilian life.

The project originated at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio, where Associate Professor of Art Lee Fearnside, Assistant Professor of Art and Director of the Diane Kidd Gallery Joe Van Kerkhove, and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. John Schupp curated the exhibition. The artists on view are established printmakers from all over the country who use various printmaking techniques, including etching, seriography, relief, engraving, mezzotint, and more. These artists were invited to use the art-making process to respond to the testimonies of participating veterans.

A reception for the exhibit will be on Thursday, October 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Co-curator and participating artist Joseph Van Kerkhove will give a brief gallery talk during the reception at 6:15 p.m.

Additional programming includes an artist lecture at 1 p.m. in the William Staerkel Planetarium by Van Kerkhove, followed by a printmaking demonstration in Room C186 at the campus. In his printmaking practice, Van Kerkhove incorporates traditional and experimental methods to reflect on memory and personal experience.

More information about the EVAC project can be found online. All events in the accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Fall gallery hours are Monday–Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; and Saturday, noon–2 p.m.

To find the gallery when campus is in session, use the M6 parking lot on the north corner of 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.

The Giertz Gallery acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, call Lisa Costello, gallery director, at 217/351-2485 or visit the gallery website.

 

(Image description: Yuji Hiratsuka, GSW, intaglio and chine collé, 9.25 x 12 inches, 2017, Veteran: Mitch, Army, Vietnam)

 

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