Thank you to everyone who voted for their favorite piece in the Regional Faculty Invitational Exhibition. As the show comes to a close we are happy to announce that the People’s Choice Award goes to Carrie Ohm for “Cloud Circles:Impossibly Large Scaled Down #2”. 2010 Porcelain, Paper


The 2010 Regional Art Faculty Invitational is a biennial event for Universities and Colleges in the Chicago Southland and is hosted by the Visual Arts Gallery at Governors State University. This year invitations were sent to Governors State University, Trinity College, Lewis University, Prairie State College, Saint Xavier University, Joliet Junior College, The College of Dupage, South Suburban College, The University of Saint Francis, Olivet Nazarene University, and Kankakee Community College.


The artists exhibiting in this year’s show are: Javier Chavira, Christopher Clark, Michael Costanza, Daniel Falco, Eric Gorder, Michael D. Hart, Jane Rhodes Hudak, Jean Janssen, Elise Kendrot, Erik LaGattuta, Joe Milosevich, Carrie Ohm, Heather Page, Beth Parin, Gary Schirmer, Lou Shields, Chelise Slowik, Jerry Slowik, Michael E. Smith, Jeff Stevenson, Jessica Van Swol,


The Invitational promises a random cross section of working styles, subjects and media and this year is no exception. Ceramic, wax sculpture, mixed media collage, graphic novel, pastel, photography, oil painting and assemblage are represented. This year we also have an art history project from Dr. Arthur Bourgeois from his African Art collection that is integrated with contemporary images to activate the exhibit and provide opportunity for reflection.

Craig R. West

Mr. West is cordially inviting the public to view his newest body of photographs, “God’s Covenant Community,” a sacred documentary that explores the spiritual and sacred connections of Midwest Baptist Church members and their Christian Faith. Mr. West is a founding member of that church, and actively serves as a Deacon there. Midwest Baptist Church is a small to mid-sized church with a membership role that averages around 90-100 members. In “God’s Covenant Community”, Mr. West has focused on special moments that show the deepest kinds of Christian bonds that believers share in both formal and informal church settings. As Mr. West states, “my photographs attempt to visually show why the relationships and ties that exist between believers in a small church community are so strong. Put simply, God’s Love and Grace are the lifeblood and glue that holds this church [Midwest Baptist Church] together.”

While many of the images in “God’s Covenant Community” feature various age groups, Mr. West’s favorite images involve children at worship and at play. As his Pastor so eloquently states, “our children are the lifeblood of the church.” And the viewer will find all kinds of images of children in this exhibit. Many of these images feature children having fun at Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Easter Service, and Church Picnics.

Mr. West’s photographs originally start off as color photographs, and are then changed to grayscale, and then to a duotone mix of black, orange and green. The resulting image then is imbued with a warm tone that creates an archetypal timeless feel. As Mr. West states, “I want my concentrated body of covenant photographs to bring back the visual essence of that old time religion.”

What gives this documentary stunning universal appeal is the open expressive gesture that the people in each photograph display. Whether in the act of worship or at play, the members of Midwest Baptist Church are bonded by an open love, affection, and humanity that is simply contagious. Mr. West’s main goal and objective behind this body of work is to use these compelling photographs to encourage, uplift, and strengthen his church. A second goal is to provide a timeless authentic look and feel of what a genuine Church would look like on any given day. Mr. West feels that any authentic Christ-led Church should be characterized by love, fellowship, praise, worship, and lots of lively fun. If you get nothing else from this show, the viewer will definitely know that God, Covenant, and Community are highly valued by all Midwest Baptist Church members.

The Hidden Splendor of Color

The Hidden Splendor of Color
Photographs by Jeremy Spence

September 13, 2010 and run through September 22
Closing reception is Wednesday, September 22 from 5:00-8:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

The Hidden Splendor of Color is about the side of life that is usually passed on a daily basis. Through the usage of artificial light, landscapes at night take on a different persona. Color has been used to turn ordinary landscapes and architectural structures into something that can only exist at night. Spence’s panoramic works turn everyday landscapes into vivid habitats that become eye candy for the viewer. Through the use of richly saturated colors, one can appreciate the beauty of hidden colors that exist only at night.

Jeremy Spence is a graduate of Governors State University and recently received a Master in Fine Arts in Digital imaging/design at Governors State University.

Monique Doyle - Remnants

GSU graduate student Monique Doyle will be exhibiting her thesis work August 2 – August 12, 2010. Reception on August 12, 2010 from 5-8pm.

Doyle’s series of work “Remnants” captures the remnants of once habited structures and discarded personal possessions. The images are a documentary of neighborhoods, homes and personal possessions that were once a part of a full and functioning life, now left as part of the present landscape. These “Remnants” have become part of the landscape due to our present economic recession, and shows the deprivation of land and life.

Doyle’s collection of images includes businesses and homes whose inhabitants are now just “Remnants” of past time. Doyle’s intent was to document areas such as Harvey, Illinois as well as the southeast side of Chicago. The facades of the buildings no longer have any redeeming qualities; they simply exist as an eyesore to most passer-byes. Doyle’s images are the scars that are left due to the harsh economic times these areas endured.

Monique Doyle is a Graduate from Governors State University with her BA in the Board of Governors and is working towards a Master of Arts from Governors State University in University Park, Illinois. Monique Doyle currently resides in Harvey, IL.

Karen Keorpes- FIGURES IN ABSTRACTION

Governors State University is pleased to present Figures in Abstraction, new work by Karen Keorpes. Figures in abstraction illustrates an abstraction of the figure in taking us away from the reality of what we show the world and pushes the figure into a visual display of our inner self. Karen Keorpes abstract oil paintings will be exhibited in a solo show at Governors State University, Visual Arts Gallery E-1580. The exhibition will open on August 31, 2010 and run through September 8. The opening reception is Friday, September 3 from 5:00-8:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Keorpes’ oil paintings evolve from her large collection of spontaneous sketchbook ink drawings. They are spontaneous drawings that I am compelled to draw these expressive figures as a way of unburdening my thoughts visually as if in a personal diary. Shapes and forms are used instead of words to create a visual story. Of emotions I have felt, seen, and heard on a particular day of events. My work is always about relationships with people I encounter and the daily interaction I have.

Keorpes’ is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and recently received a Master in Arts in painting at Governor State University. Keorpes’ is a teacher of art at Thornwood High School and currently lives in Orland Park, Illinois.

A Whole New Mind - Brainstorm

The Intellectual Life Committee and the College of Arts and Sciences at Governors State University present A Whole New Mind 2010 – Brainstorm, a national juried art competition inspired by Daniel Pink’s book "A Whole New Mind – Why Right Brainers will Rule the Future." Art work documenting, analyzing and/or inspired by the intellectual activity, thought processes, dysfunctions, and/or problem solving capabilities of the human mind will be favored.
Please View the Exhibition Catalog at
http://www.govst.edu/brainstorm/

Show Runs- May 24- June 24 2010
Artists Reception and Awards ceremony Saturday, June 19 5-7pm following the "Summer Sol-abration" event from 2-5pm in the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at GSU

Reading Group Discussion- Thursday June 24, 2010 7-8pm in Visual Arts Gallery. The first 25 People to sign up will get a free copy of A Whole New Mind. Plus stop in the gallery during regular hours to vote for the "Peoples Choice Award" that will be announced on June 19th at the Artists Reception.

Curator: Jeff Stevenson Jeff Stevenson is a professional artist and educator exhibiting award winning artwork, and teaching Creativity, Studio Art, and Art History.
Jurors:
Susan Aurinko is a photographer, curator and gallerist for Coalition Gallery, Kemper Gallery IIT, and Prudential Plaza. In addition, Aurinko served as owner and curator of Chicago's FLATFILE galleries for ten years. An exhibition exhibition of her photography, entitled STILL POINT, INDIA, will open at Kriti Gallery in Varanasi, in 2010, and will tour India over the next two years. www.aurinkophoto.com

Tricia Van Eck is Associate Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art. This past year she co-curated the Chicago presentation of Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe and coordinated the Jeff Koons retrospective. She has curated and coordinated numerous other exhibitions for the MCA including Mapping the Self and Kerry James Marshall: One True Thing - Meditations on Black Aesthetics.
www.govst.edu/brainstorm.