The 2015 Parkland Art and Design Faculty Exhibition is underway -

The 2015 Parkland Art and Design Faculty Exhibition is currently on display in the Giertz Gallery and runs through September 19th. Fifteen faculty artists have works on display in various media including sculpture, painting and digital media. A reception attended by over 100 guests was held on September 3rd, and keynote speaker Craig McMonigal — recent recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association — was on hand to present a portion of his series titled Viewer/Voyeur.

The artist began his discussion by reading an old letter to the editor written by an unhappy patron who attended the first Parkland art show wherein McMonigal participated. The patron referred to the art as, “pornographic full-color images of young men and women”, and went on to question Parkland’s decision to hire the artist. McMonigal appeared to recall this incident as somewhat of a fond memory, however he makes it very clear that there is a definite distinction between nude art and pornography. “I do think that with the nude figure there is an inherent sense of eroticism, and you can’t avoid that”, he said. Having worked with 70 models over the years, his focus lies on both the beauty and timelessness of the nude form. As far as when erotica crosses the line, “It’s like that judge said. ‘I cannot define pornography, but I know it when I see it.’”

Art History instructor Kelly White, also of 40 North, attended the reception as well. Her oil on canvas painting, Laocoön, is on display at the exhibit. While on a trip to the Vatican, White took a photograph of the sculpture and created her piece from the image. “You spend so much time thinking about it and looking at it,” she said, adding, “I finished it probably three or four days ago.” White has submitted work to every faculty show since she came onboard with Parkland ten years ago.

Slugger – Chris Berti