Giertz Gallery to Host "Better Angels: Work by Steven Hudson"
Giertz Gallery Presents "Better Angels: Work by Steven Hudson"
"Better Angels: Work by Steven Hudson," featuring art by Champaign-based artist Steven Hudson, opens February 14 at Giertz Gallery at Parkland College.
The exhibit, which includes paintings, drawings, and sculpture by Hudson, will run through March 29. An artist's reception will be held on Thursday, February 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. featuring live music by the Cobra Lounge Trio. Hudson will present a gallery talk at 6:15 pm. An additional artist lecture will take place on Wednesday, March 2 at 2:30 p.m. on Zoom.
The exhibit, reception, and lecture are free and open to the public. Please register for online events at parkland.edu/gallery.
"We are delighted to exhibit Steven Hudson's artwork," says Giertz Gallery director Lisa Costello. "He is a local artist with national stature, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity for a solo exhibition. His art deals with existential questions that we all struggle with, and through his inclusion of simple and iconic symbols of mass-produced and disposable objects, the work resonates more profoundly–we can identify with his figures and their predicament."
Hudson records a sometimes beautiful but always melancholy portrait of human vulnerability in the epic tradition of oil painting. His work foreshadows our current environmental annihilation, and his narratives offer stories of survival and transcendence amongst the familiar debris of our time. Navigating the space of an unspecified cataclysm, he creates a twilight time that is far removed from the clutter and pace of our existence.
"I paint, draw, and make sculpture and installation art in a rigorous representational manner that is heavily informed by the academic traditions in figurative art," Hudson says. "I do this because it is the kind of work that I admire most, and because it invokes the centuries-long history of painting. I make artworks that explore the humblest gestures, exposing the fragility of our own day-to-day lived moments."
Hudson is a teaching associate professor in The School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds a BFA from Southeastern Massachusetts University and an MFA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. His artwork has been reviewed nationally and internationally, including ARTnews, New American Paintings, and the Chicago Tribune. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts/Arts Midwest Individual Artist Grant and the Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Individual Artist Grant.
Gallery hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 2 p.m.
In compliance with state pandemic mandates, Parkland College has restricted access entryways and door checkers stationed at entrances. For Giertz Gallery, we suggest using the M1 parking lot on the north corner of campus. Enter through the M1 door and follow the gallery signage. The gallery is located in the north side of the X-wing and overlooks the outdoor fountain area.
Giertz Gallery acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Parkland College is a section 504/ADA-compliant institution; for accommodation, call 217/351-2505 or email accessibilityservices@parkland.edu.
For more information about the exhibit or the gallery, please visit parkland.edu/gallery or call the gallery office at 217/351-2485.
[Image: "Hotspot", oil and mixed media on canvas, 60x80 in, 2022]