Released: December 12, 2008
Two exhibitions open in January at the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery in Richards Hall. "Vacant Spaces" and "The Portrait in Print" open Jan. 19 and continue through Feb. 19. A First Friday reception will be held Friday, Feb. 6 from 5-7 p.m. in the Gallery.
"Vacant Spaces: Memory and Implied Presence in Contemporary Photography" is a curatorial project by Rosemary Burk, which is part of her senior thesis and UCARE research. The exhibition features photography by Toni Pepe, Jennifer Little and Rebecca Sittler-Schrock.
"Vacant Spaces" is a collection of photographs that imply a human presence in domestic interiors through multiple visual methods, such as the personification of everyday objects and use of reflections. Imbedded in this work are the issues surrounding the role of the home as the keeper of personal memory.
Jennifer Little received her B.F.A. from Washington University and her M.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005. She is currently teaching photography at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. The work shown in the exhibition is from her "Transience" series.
Toni Pepe received her B.A. at Michigan State University and her M.F.A. from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007. The work featured in this exhibition is from her "Angle of Repose" series.
Rebecca Sittler-Schrock received her B.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her M.F.A. from Massachusetts College of Art in 2003. She is currently teaching at California State University-Long Beach. The work featured in this exhibition is from her "A Spectacle and Nothing Strange" series.
"The Portrait in Print: From the Collection of McHenry County College, Illinois" is from the Portraits in Print Collection, the largest part of McHenry County College's permanent art collection. They were received as a gift from Mary and Charles Liebman that now includes more than 200 prints.
The collection of prints is impressive, not only in quantity, but also in quality. Both the subjects represented and the styles of the artists are quite diverse. Some of the more recognizable names of artists represented in the collection are Edouard Manet, Salvador Dali, Paul Cezanne, Fritz Eichenberg, Toulouse Latrec, and Andy Warhol.
At first glance, the works appear as a series of portraits-upon a closer look, an outstanding history of artists, scientists and humanitarians. Mrs. Liebman chose to collect portraits in particular because of the added dimension of historical interest inherent in a portrait. It is her hope that people will enjoy these prints as art, but, also, that viewers will be moved to learn more about the people they portray.
Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, noon to 4 p.m.