The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College will open its newest exhibition, “2025 State of the Art Ceramics Biennial: Detour,” on November 17. The show, curated by guest artists Tyler Lotz and Albion Stafford of Illinois State University’s Wonsook Kim School of Art, explores the unexpected directions and evolving approaches within contemporary ceramics.
Lotz, who serves as director of the Wonsook Kim School of Art, and Stafford bring a shared philosophy to curating the show—highlighting artists who have challenged convention and redefined the language of the ceramic vessel.
“The alternate routes they have discovered travel down pathways of material exploration, digital and manual fabrication processes, visual culture, craft, and abstraction,” the curators wrote in their essay. “Deviations from the usual course provide new opportunities for seeing and understanding traditions of the ceramic medium that are bound in form, surface, and material.”
The exhibition includes a slate of nationally recognized artists: Jeremy R. Brooks (Conway, South Carolina), Stephen Creech (Indianapolis), Maxwell Henderson (Red Lodge, Montana), Lydia Johnson (Bolton, Connecticut), Joanna Powell (Helena, Montana), Alex Reed (Los Angeles), Keith Simpson (Greenwich, Connecticut), and Malcolm Mobutu Smith (Bloomington, Indiana). Each artist brings a unique interpretation of the “detour” motif, revealing how contemporary ceramics continue to evolve through innovation and reinterpretation.
A public reception will take place on November 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., featuring a gallery talk by Lotz and Stafford at 6:15 p.m. Admission to all events is free, and the gallery is fully accessible.
The Giertz Gallery, located within Parkland College’s serene campus, functions as both an educational and cultural hub for the community. Through exhibitions, workshops, and artist talks, the gallery promotes dialogue around the visual arts and invites visitors to engage directly with creative practices.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. The gallery will be closed November 27–29 for Thanksgiving, December 15–January 10 for winter break, and January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Detour” will remain on view through Saturday, February 7, 2026.
Visitors may enter through Parkland’s M6 parking lot on the campus’s north corner, using door X-7. Inside, turn left and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point of the first floor, where the gallery overlooks the outdoor fountain courtyard.
The Giertz Gallery receives program support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. For accessibility accommodations, contact Parkland’s Disability Resources at 217-353-2338 or email accessibilityservices@parkland.edu.
