The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, in collaboration with 40 North, Champaign County Arts Council, is calling on local artists to submit their work for the upcoming summer exhibition, “Around the Block V: Artists from Our Neighborhood.” This juried community exhibition is open to all artists aged 18 and older residing in Champaign County and surrounding counties, including Ford, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Iroquois, Livingston, Moultrie, McClean, and Vermilion.

The exhibition, scheduled to run from June 9 to July 24, 2025, will feature original artwork created after January 2023. Submissions must be made online by April 21, 2025. Josh Fairbanks, Assistant Director of Exhibitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), will serve as this year’s juror. Fairbanks has a personal connection to the gallery, having worked there during his time as a student at Parkland College.

“We are delighted to host our fifth ‘Around the Block’ exhibition,” gallery director Lisa Costello said. “It is always a pleasure to be able 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 includes works by artists from our community and some alumni. It is a survey of artists living in our area and I was pleased Josh agreed to be our juror.”

The exhibition will include an opening reception on June 12, 2025, with remarks by Costello and Kelly White, Executive Director of 40 North. A closing reception is also planned for July 24. All events at the handicapped-accessible gallery are free and open to the public.

For more information and to submit entries, artists can visit the Giertz Gallery website at www.parkland.edu/AroundtheBlockV. The gallery acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and is a section 504/ADA-compliant institution.