Join the University Galleries on Friday, June 2, from 5–7 p.m., for the opening reception for three new exhibitions. The Marcfirst Choir, which includes many of the participating artists, will perform at 6 p.m. Marc Making: Artists of Marcfirst, Dennis French: Illuminants, 2015-17, and Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection will be on display June 2 through August 9.
Marc Making: Artists of Marcfirst
This exhibition features a variety of artwork by creative individuals from Marcfirst, a local agency dedicated to supporting adults with disabilities. During the past four months, University Galleries and Marcfirst’s “Marc Making” program have partnered to afford these artists an opportunity to create paintings, drawings, collages, and small sculptures through workshops held on Saturdays among the gallery’s rotating exhibitions. Though the individuals have varying experiences making art, the Marc Making program aims to, as Arts Coordinator Iga Puchalska states, “create an inclusive and creative environment of collaboration through supporting individuals’ self-expression while participating in the Bloomington-Normal fine arts community and beyond.”
Dennis French: Illuminants, 2015-17
Their function as indoor lighting notwithstanding, Dennis French’s Illuminants might best be described as sculptures incorporating light. A subtle seduction is at play as we take in the dynamic lines, atmospheric nuances, and impeccable craftsmanship that characterize this alluring series. The works included in the exhibition range in scale and mode of presentation. The futuristic Frustum, one of several works on pedestal, emits both blue and white light from its missile-like structure, while the tall floor-standing Beacon appears to be a cross between lighthouse and transmission tower. Flight is suspended from the ceiling, its side wings seeming to keep it aloft, and Cloudscape, a large asymmetrical work mounted to the wall, is screen-like in both the traditional and technological sense, besides being, as its title implies, a skyscape.
French joined the faculty at Illinois State University in 1983 as head of the Jewelry and Metals Design program and taught here until 2009.
Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection
This exhibition presents a selection of artwork acquired by University Galleries over the past several years through donation or purchase. Featured are photographs, prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed-media works by artists including: Ilse Bing, Nina Bovasso, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Adam Farcus, Larry Fink, John Fraser, Dennis French, Erin Hayden, Whitney Johnson, Venise Keys, Wonsook Kim, Leon Levinstein, Danny Lyon, Miller & Shellabarger, Jenny Peters, Beatrix Reinhardt, August Sander, Grace Sheese, Michael A. Smith, Rob Swainston, Amanda Weygand, and others.
All events are free and open to the public. Free parking is available in the parking deck directly above University Galleries beginning at 5:01 p.m. To arrange a special accommodation to participate in this program, please contact University Galleries at (309) 438-5487 or gallery@ilstu.edu. For more information, please visit the University Galleries website.
