June 9th to July 24th, 2025
 

• Reception: Thursday, June 12, 5:30–7:30 pm; opening remarks with Lisa Costello and Kelly White at 6:15 pm
• Closing Reception: July 24, from 5:30 to 7 pm, with gallery talk at 6:15 pm by Juror
• Additional programming to be announced
• Rules and Entry Form found here
• Submissions are accepted online only; the deadline is April 21, 2025.

Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, in collaboration with 40 North: Champaign County Arts Council, presents Around the Block IV: Artists from Our Neighborhood, a juried community exhibition of regional artists. This exhibit is open to all artists 18 years and older residing in Champaign County and Counties within the Parkland College 505 District, including Ford, Coles, Champaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Iroquois, Livingston, Moultrie, McClean, and Vermilion. All work must be original and not previously exhibited at the Giertz Gallery. Work completed under an instructor's supervision is not eligible. Only works completed after January 2023 will be accepted. The Juror will make all final determinations.

The Juror for this year's Exhibition is Josh Fairbanks. He is the Assistant Director of Exhibitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where he leads Undergraduate and New Work Exhibitions and manages SAIC Galleries. He also teaches practicum courses in Exhibition Studies. Fairbanks is an alum of Parkland College and studied Art History and Painting at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). In addition to his administrative responsibilities, he is also a practicing artist.

Lisa Costello remarked about the exhibition, "We are delighted to host our fifth Around the Block exhibition. It is always a pleasure to host such a community-oriented event where regional artists can exhibit their work, and family, friends, and neighbors can visit the gallery and view the artwork in person. The exhibition will include works by artists from our community and alums from the region. It is a survey of artists living in our area, and I was pleased that Josh Fairbanks agreed to be our Juror. In addition to his responsibilities at SAIC Galleries at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he is also an alum of the Art & Design Program at Parkland College and the University of Illinois. Having been part of our community, he understands the importance of this exhibition, and I look forward to collaborating with him again!" Costello said, "Working with 40 North, Champaign County's Art Council is helping us to get the word out. They are a valuable resource in our community, and we enjoy partnering with them to make this an even larger and more successful exhibition."

Interested in submitting artwork? The deadline is April 21 at 11:59 pm. 

Calendar

4/21 Online submission deadline

5/5 Acceptance notifications sent

5/27 - 5/28 Deliver accepted artwork to Giertz Gallery:

• Tuesday, May 27, 12 - 7 pm
• Wednesday, May 28, 10 am -5 pm

6/9 Exhibition opens

6/12 Reception 5:30-7:30 pm; opening remarks by Lisa Costello & Kelly White at 6:15 pm

7/24 Closing Reception from 5:30 to 7 pm.

Artists may pick up work at the closing of the exhibit.

7/30 Pick up artwork from Giertz Gallery, 10 am - 6 pm.

Josh Fairbanks is the Assistant Director of Exhibitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where he leads Undergraduate and New Work Exhibitions and manages SAIC Galleries. He also teaches practicum courses in Exhibition Studies. Fairbanks is an alum of Parkland College and studied Art History and Painting at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). As a practicing artist, he creates artwork that explores themes of labor, environmental impact, and personal history.

Specifications

Media

Submitted works may be in the following disciplines: painting, sculpture, ceramics, metals, drawing, printmaking, photography, textiles, video, and mixed media. Due to space limitations, the accepted video will be shown on a computer monitor. No installation art is accepted due to space restrictions.

Size

Works including frames should not exceed 42 (h) x 36 (w) x 36 (d) inches. The work must be completely assembled and exhibition-ready. All works on paper must be matted or mounted and framed. Frames should be wired or have D-rings (no sawtooth hangers). Unframed paintings are acceptable but must have a finished edge and be ready to hang. Wires on the artwork, when pulled tautly, should sit 2 - 3 inches below the frame's top center. Work requiring special handling or installation will be accepted only at the gallery's discretion. Giertz Gallery has the right to exclude any artwork that has the potential to damage the facility, other artwork, or the public. Any artwork that does not meet the above guidelines will not be accepted for Exhibition.

Jury Instructions

Jurying will be conducted through online submission only. No mailed or emailed applications will be accepted.

Digital Images

Giertz Gallery requests digital images in 300 dpi – 4″ × 6″ (1200 × 1800 pixels) – jpeg file format. Images should be named using the following format: LastName_FirstName_Submission#.JPG (example: Kahlo_Frida_1.JPG)

Entry Fee

A $20.00 jury fee entitles each artist to submit a maximum of three artworks. Each 3D work entry may have one detailed image. Due to size restrictions, only one piece per artist will be accepted. All fees are nonrefundable and payable by credit card or PayPal at the time of online submission.

Liability

Works will be handled with the utmost care. Giertz Gallery will provide insurance coverage for damage or loss only while in the gallery's possession. The amount of coverage will be limited to the repair or replacement value, as stated by the artist on the loan form.

Written authorization is required for the Giertz Gallery to release work to anyone other than the artist. If you are unable to pick up your work during the pick-up time and would like to indicate a proxy who will do this for you, please write their name here ____________________________. Your proxy must provide a valid picture ID. Artwork left with the Giertz Gallery more than 30 days after the close of the Exhibition is deemed abandoned and will be discarded.

Agreement

Submitting an entry to this show constitutes agreement with all conditions of this show. Giertz Gallery at Parkland College assumes the right to photograph accepted artwork for publicity or catalog purposes. Giertz Gallery at Parkland College reserves the right to reject works accepted by the Juror that have been inaccurately represented by the image and to reject works from Exhibition deemed extraordinarily fragile or unstable. All accepted work must remain for the duration of the show.

Sales

Exhibited works available for sale will be sold at the price indicated on the entry form, with the artist receiving 70% and the Giertz Gallery receiving 30%. Works not for sale should be listed as "NFS," but a value must be stated for insurance purposes.

Notification

Artists will be notified of their acceptance via email provided by the artist on the submission form. Please see the calendar for notification dates.