Chicago Heights, IL–(ENEWSPF)– The Prairie State College (PSC) art faculty mentor and teach their students about photography, graphic design, and fine art. However, PSC’s art faculty also have distinguished careers as artists.
An upcoming art exhibit will showcase their talents. In House IV will run January 10 through February 3 in the Christopher Art Gallery, located on the college’s main campus, 202 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights. An artists’ reception will be held Thursday, January 27, 4:30- 7 p.m.
Peter Bosy, assistant professor, photography, also is a commercial photographer and artist. He has won a number of awards for his work including the National Addy Award and others from the Photo Imaging Education Association and the Photographers Forum. His newest series is a photographic exploration using light and focus to simplify objects at their true essence.
“As an artist and photographer, I’m attracted by how lighting affects the color, shape, and texture of recognizable objects,” said Bosy. “In dispersing the light on these objects in this series, ‘Diaspora’, I am able to define shapes and shadows to accentuate segments of various objects realistically or abstractly.”
Shelly Hokanson, professor, graphic communications, will also have photography on display. When she’s not in the classroom, she shoots both film and digital images. Her work has been on display in several galleries in the south suburbs.
“Photography is the tool by which I explore my visual voice,” said Hokanson. “I am inspired by dichotomies, especially in nature: hard and soft, dark and light, weak and strong, and so on. The simultaneous complexity and simplicity of nature fascinates me. When I feel a visceral response to an everyday sight, I am motivated to capture that image.”
In addition to the photographs by Bosy and Hokanson, Paul Rinaldi, professor, fine arts, and Lou Shields, associate professor, art history and studio art, will have their drawings and paintings showcased in the exhibit.
For nearly 25 years, Rinaldi’s work has been featured in a variety of group and solo exhibitions in galleries worldwide from New York to Egypt. Rinaldi feels that a work of art should convey a sense of time, place, and human presence.
“I have been intrigued by the important role that memory can play in the creation of art,” said Rinaldi. “Memory is both personal and collective, a sacred space held deep within our souls. Though it is veiled by time, it is a place that can be visited for insight and inspiration. “
Shields is primarily a painter, but also works in a variety of drawing and mixed-media. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and he won many awards at competitions. In 2002, he stopped entering art competitions and concentrated more on the promotion of local artists, and operated his own gallery, EXP Gallery. He closed the gallery last year to focus on his own artwork.
“I have traveled extensively within this country and others. I met many individuals who are artists and they gave me insight and the courage to look inward and to be true to myself,” said Shields. “Today, I feel that my art has come full circle.”
Others featured in the exhibit include adjunct faculty Faye DeCesaris, David Gremp, Rebecca Heide, Jeff Stevenson, and Carol Thorner.
Hours for the Christopher Art Gallery are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. The gallery is not open on Monday, January 17. Visits can be made by appointment. For more information about the exhibit, or to make an appointment for a visit, contact the Prairie State College Foundation at (708) 709-3636.
