The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College will open a new exhibition, The Great Outdoors: A Group Exhibition, on October 6.

The exhibition brings together ceramics, printmaking, mixed media, watercolor, and oil painting from five nationally recognized artists whose work highlights the often-blurred boundary between wilderness and human development. Through scenes of camping, fishing, traveling, and backyard leisure, the artists invite viewers to reflect on how people interact with outdoor spaces and the cultural histories tied to them.

Featured artists include Hannah Buchanan of Rockville, Ind.; Pattie Chalmers of Carbondale, Ill.; Travis Head of Blacksburg, Va.; Beth Shadur of Highland Park, Ill.; and Amanda Smith of Bloomington, Ind.

Smith, a senior lecturer in painting at Indiana University, will offer further insight into her work during a lecture on Thursday, October 9, at 1:15 p.m. in the William Staerkel Planetarium. That evening, the gallery will host a reception from 5:30–7 p.m., with a gallery talk by Smith at 6:15 p.m.

Her acclaimed artwork, which explores human interpretations of landscapes, has been featured in exhibitions across the country and abroad, including New York’s SPRING/BREAK Art Show, the Rochester Art Center in Minnesota, and Biblioteca Viva Egana in Santiago, Chile.

The exhibition will run through Saturday, November 8. Gallery hours are Monday–Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Admission is free, and the gallery is fully accessible.

Visitors can enter the gallery via the M6 parking lot on the north corner of the Parkland College campus, proceed through door X-7, and follow the ramps uphill to the first floor. The gallery overlooks the campus fountain area.

The exhibition is supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Accommodations are available by calling 217-353-2338 or emailing accessibilityservices@parkland.edu.