New Exhibits Scheduled to Open in ICC Art Galleries in November

                Two new exhibits open November 14 in the Illinois Central College art galleries, located on the East Peoria Campus.

                High Plains Jamboree, an exhibit by Ian Shelly and Jacob Salazar, opens in Gallery 336B, located in the Academic Building. A meet and greet with Shelly is scheduled on the opening date in the gallery from noon to 2 pm, including an artist talk starting at 12:30 pm.

                In addition, Evolving Allusions, an exhibit of the art of Jan Brandt, opens on the same date in the Performing Arts Center Gallery, located in the lobby of the facility. An artist talk by Brandt is scheduled for November 26 in the gallery beginning at 12:30 pm.

                High Plains Jamboree is a collaboration of both two and three-dimensional work between Salazar and Shelly. The exhibit serves to reflect the duality seen in West Texas landscapes and landmarks. With the exhibit, the artists seek to emulate the reverent and irreverent spirit of singer/songwriter Terry Allen’s 1979 album, Lubbock on Everything, which painted a vivid picture of a place and time that is at the heart of the ancestry and culture of anyone from Lubbock. This exhibit is an account by Salazar and Shelly, raised in a culture and landscape of both recessive austerity and expansive beauty.

                Shelly is an assistant professor of art and head of ceramics at Western Illinois University in Macomb. He graduated with a bachelor in fine arts degree in ceramics from Texas Tech University and received his master of fine arts degree from the University of Missouri. His background in ceramic vessel making and his interests in weapons manufacturing and childhood touchstones drives his subject matter toward humorous and sometimes haunting permutations and outcomes. Shelly’s work has been featured in numerous venues around the country, as well as in publications within the field of ceramics.

                Salazar resides in Lubbock, Tex., where he is a bit of a cultural phenomenon. In addition to being a prolific artist, he is a chef and has significant experience as a museum technician and in high-end art installation. Most of his work uses combinations of ink, acrylic and charcoal.

                With degrees in both the fine arts and hard science, Brandt’s paintings included as part of her Evolving Allusions exhibit exude her interest in scientific inquiry by referencing cellular forms and movement. The works synthesize forms that agglomerate as if to bubble over, alluding to continuing expansion and proliferation. There is a childlike sense of wonder to these non-literal works, a play between the micro and macro. Brandt’s memories of studying slides under her toy microscope as a young girl transform into larger than life configurations.

                Brandt works in mixed media, textiles, printmaking and painting. She holds bachelor of science and bachelor of fine arts degrees from Illinois State University. She is the owner of Jan Brandt Gallery in Bloomington and curates visiting artist exhibitions in The Guest Room at her gallery. She has exhibited her work nationally from California to New York, as well as locally. Her installation work was featured in The Illinois State Museum Galleries of Lockport and Springfield. Brandt’s work has been featured in numerous print and online publications. Her work was the first prize winner in the installation category in featured on the Women’s Caucus for Art website and newsletter in 2017. Recently, Brandt’s work was in The Boston Biennial V at Atlantic Works Gallery. Her work was selected for the “Degrees of Abstraction” group exhibition at The Argonne National Laboratory Gallery 201 in Lemont.

                The exhibit by Shelly and Salazar runs through December 14. The exhibit by Brandt is on display through January 11.

                Hours of operation for Gallery 336B are Monday through Thursday, from 9 am to 5 pm and Friday from 9 am to noon. The Performing Arts Center Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, and Friday from 9:30 am to noon. In addition, the Performing Arts Center Gallery also is accessible when the Performing Arts Center is open for public events. Operation of all galleries varies with ICC’s holidays and breaks.

                The exhibits are presented by the ICC Art Program and the Arts at ICC. The Arts at ICC has a rich history of enhancing the arts community and expanding education beyond the classroom. Arts at ICC presents more than 500 exhibits, performances, lectures, rehearsals, meetings, master classes, clinics, seminars, receptions, orientations, forums, auditions and tournaments annually.

                For more information or to confirm a gallery will be open at a particular time, visit ArtsAtICC.com or contact the ICC Arts and Behavioral Sciences Department at (309) 694-5113.