past Exhibitions

Brandt GALLERy

"This past year has, for most of us, profoundly changed our relationship with physical space, especially the formerly safe space of home. Homes for some have become unbearably confining, for some uncertain or nonexistent and for others a desolate empty place to grieve. Natural and man-made disasters have destroyed others, leaving the inhabitants only sad scraps and distorted debris. My work considers this emotional and physical devastation created by the loss of home. Home is where our most basic human needs - nourishment, rest, and safety - are supposed to be met. When these are lost we are set adrift, grieving for security and permanence. This is "hiraeth" a Welsh word for a profound homesickness for a home you can't return to, or that may have never existed. Much of the horror evoked by natural and man-made disasters comes down to this basic fear. Many of my drawings and sculptures formally involve images of homes beyond repair; structures collapsing, burning, ripping, tearing, falling. I draw homes because they ae us; the places where we can be the most real and where we can dream in peace." ~ Susan Emmerson

Specifically feeble and precisely precarious, Lisa Walcott's work translates elements of daily life. Moods, guilt, sensations, monotony, accumulation and change are given bodies in objects and movement. Spaces of the mind are realized in physical form and daydreams animated. Up close and in combination they begin to represent the fluidity and contradictions of the everyday. The task of locating and giving form to shapeless sensations like presence, agitation or what it feels like to be full after eating will eventually fail because these feelings can never quite be manifested. However, there is often something more desirable in the always-absent compared to the attainable. The attempt to find shape and materiality for these abstract ideas involves collecting, combining, squinting, and meandering forward. The works are as energetic as they are visual--agitation buzzes overhead as a housefly and presence unexpectedly gurgles from an unknown space. In many cases, the objects feel essential, like they couldn't be anything besides what they are--their physicality is vital for them to hold their position and their essence is what the work is about. There is a sense of balance that is n the verge of being lost as joints are precarious and elements within the pieces are codependent--everything has a place for now. ~ Lisa Walcott

ARMSTRONG AND DOLAN GALLERY

Ted Diamond | Jim Kozak | Tyler Mardis

June 11 - July 16, 2021

Closing Reception on Friday, July 16, 2021

This exhibition will feature the work of three photographers, Ted Diamond, Jim Kozak, and Tyler Mardis. Their images capture the beauty of the vast Illinois landscape, as well as explore the weathered architecture of the rural Midwest.

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Brandt GALLERy

PATHWAYS, Nichole Gronvold Roller/David Linneweh/Megan Hinds

April 23 - June 4, 2021
Brandt Gallery

Nichole Gronvold Roller creates ambiguous spaces that possess an unpredictable gravity or no gravity at all. She constructs these spaces with vortexes, fragmented planes, and energy pathways borrowed from both human-made and natural systems. Her shaped canvases explore the material, geographical, and cultural influences of architectural design.

David Linneweh’s work reflects on the idea of the American Dream, asking if its tenets are based on illusion or reality. He begins with photographs of suburban streets, which are then printed and transferred over a wood veneer. Layers of graphite and paint serve to emphasize or flatten compositional elements, resulting in images that are altered and weathered by time.

Megan Hinds explores ecosystems and architecture in her three-dimensional prints, drawing inspiration from beehives to human cities. Her layered compositions provide opportunities for visual exploration and discovery, with camouflage and chaos giving way to organized focal points.

94th Annual Amateur Exhibition

March 6 - April

Masks and social distancing required.

ARMSTRONG GALLERY

ONCE REMOVED, Jim Neeley & Wayne Bertola

April 23 - June 4, 2021

Armstrong Gallery

Due to the COVID-19 no public reception will occur

The three-dimensional constructions Jim Neeley builds press him to think like a graphic designer, use his hands like a finish carpenter, and obsess over the details. His inspirations are numerous and varied. The iconic design and culture of the 1970s. Bird’s-eye views of the rural landscape where he cycles. High/low architecture, studied wherever he travels. Quirky things, irreverent things. Unrelated bits and pieces such as local found objects and recycled stuff that he re-imagines and reorganizes into meticulous, elegant tableaus, all neatly contained in handmade boxes. Superfluous details of the objects he incorporates into these pieces are “erased,” leaving just the essence of mundane elements. For the observer, he hopes that his work pings a distant recollection, conjures a smile, and also inspires a bit of self-indulgence.

Wayne Bertola combines found objects and images—the discarded debris of the once-functional and the most humble of materials—in a way that demonstrates their capacity to transform. Recontextualized, the objects engage the viewer in a creative dialogue of association, allusion, and reverie beyond the limitations of the utilitarian and preconceived notions of what is worthy of notice and what constitutes value.

Apart/ Together

An exhibition featuring our in-house McLean County Arts Center instructor's work created during the pandemic celebrating the togetherness and connection the arts offer even when physically distanced. Features photography, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, painting, and more!

DOLAN GALLERy

PUNCTUATION: 35 YEARS OF DIABETIC DEBRIS, Karl Smith

April 23 - June 4, 2021

Dolan Gallery

Karl Smith’s still life photos utilize the medical supplies he personally used to treat his diabetes since he was a teen. The debris includes hundreds of syringes, insulin bottles, glucose testers and supplies, and hospital wrist bands. More recently, the series shifted to photographs of his life after receiving kidney and pancreas transplants, including photographs of his organ donor’s family.

CROWNS OF EMPOWERMENT

February 26 - April 9, 2021

Natalie Jackson studied photography at the Atlanta Art Institute and completed a full curriculum at Gwinnett Technical College. She specialized in portraits, which she later combined with a love for jazz, shooting CD covers, concerts, and posters for musicians.

I produced this body of work because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me on the covers of vintage magazines. I believe representation and inclusivity are paramount to success. You must see to believe. The purpose of this work is to empower Black women and educate everyone else as to the important roles they’ve played in history.

Brandt GALLERy

Tending Place

January 15- February 19

Jessica Bingham & Hua Nian

Masks and social distancing required.

Hua Nian is a signature artist of the International Society of Acrylic Painters (ISAP) and the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS). Her paintings appear in international and national art exhibitions, winning awards at local, state, and national shows. She is now an active exhibiting artist and art instructor of Hua Nian Art Studio in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Jessica Bingham (b. 1989) is an artist, curator, educator, and mother working in Central Illinois. She is Curator at University Galleries of Illinois State University and the Director and Cofounder of Project 1612, an independent artist-run space focused on ephemeral exhibitions and participatory performances. In addition to curating exhibitions and engaging community, Bingham is a practicing artist whose work examines memory, trauma, homemaking, childhood, and motherhood through mending.

Armstrong Gallery

Unsteady Hands

David Dow

Artist, entrepreneur, advocate, and philanthropist David Dow continues and evolves his exploration of masks: do they hide who we are or allow us to become something we wish to be? His current work is inspired by childhood recollections conjured up during the tumultuous months of 2020: an exotic gift received, his eccentric paternal grandparents, and exposure to the richness of cultures vastly different from his own. Taking a pause from ceramics, he has produced a new body of work created by steady hands, glass beads, and wax. Oh, and patience.

Dolan Gallery

Art Strings and Tambourines

Art Strings & Tambourines - a benefit for the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, in cooperation with the McLean County Arts Center. This event showcases the talents of professional artists on violins and tambourines. A complete display of artwork to be auctioned online February 1-13 can be viewed at the McLean County Arts Center now through February 13.

Click below to view and bid!

ALL GALLERies

44TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREASURES

November 5 - December 31, 2020

Brandt GALLERY

PRISM | JAN BRANDT, KRYSTAL LYON, NATALIE WETZEL

August 28 - October 9, 2020

ARMSTRONG GALLERY

DRAWN TO THE WATER | CATHY ENGBERG & MANDY ROEING

Sponsored by Brian and Yvonne Hoop
August 28 - October 9, 2020

Dolan GALLERY

CREATURES | ERICA GILLIAM

August 28 - October 9, 2020

Brandt GALLERY

SELECTIONS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION

July 14 - August 21, 2020

Harold Gregor, Above the Farm IV, color linocut

Brandt GALLERY

93RD ANNUAL MCLEAN COUNTY AMATEUR ART EXHIBITION

February 28 - April 10, 2020
Sponsored by The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, Jerry Antonini, Paula Aschim and Tim Garvey, Miles and Ruth Bair, R. Charles and Laura S. Baue, Gail and Galen Crow, Susan Emmerson, Robert Fisher and Linda Willis Fisher, Deanna Frautschi and Alan Bedell, John and Marilyn Freese, Ed and Judy Hines, Brian and Yvonne Hoop, Mike and Alexis Kalish, Sheila Lamberson and Cheryl Divine, Cathy Pratt and Dave Templeton, Jim and Pam Raymond, Laura and Bob Reardon, Robert and Connie Stefl, Tracey Sullivan Covert, Lynn and Patsy Webber, Stephen R. and Beverly A. Young