Paula Kovarik
Artist Statement
Mom taught me pretty much everything she knew. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cooking, camping, fishing, compassion and responsibility. Then I went to school and learned some more. It all interests me, rocket science, plant biology, history, art, you name it, I’m interested. So, I became a designer, the one career that forces you to keep on learning. I ran a graphic design business called Shades of Gray for over 25 years specializing in corporate and employee communications.
Seven years ago, I sold that business and began my career as a full-time fiber artist. Stitching is an extension of my thoughts through my hands. It’s about the edges as defined by line. It’s about the inner coming out. It’s about the layered, ripped, cut, and sandwiched together. Stitching is a slow process, so I can be sensitive to surprises, allowing the stitched drawings to tell me more than I think I know. Surrounded by inspirations, I am awed by the mystery and eager to create. I multitask, dream in code, read with urgency and play with intent. Most days, I am breathless.
Biography:
Paula Kovarik received her Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. As the creative director and owner of Shades of Gray, Inc., a graphic design studio, she specialized in communications. Paula’s textile art has been recognized by several national venues. She has been profiled in American Craft, Fiber ArtNow and Art Quilting Studio magazines. Paula lives and works in Memphis, TN.
Paula Kovarik
Artist Statement
Mom taught me pretty much everything she knew. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cooking, camping, fishing, compassion and responsibility. Then I went to school and learned some more. It all interests me, rocket science, plant biology, history, art, you name it, I’m interested. So, I became a designer, the one career that forces you to keep on learning. I ran a graphic design business called Shades of Gray for over 25 years specializing in corporate and employee communications.
Seven years ago, I sold that business and began my career as a full-time fiber artist. Stitching is an extension of my thoughts through my hands. It’s about the edges as defined by line. It’s about the inner coming out. It’s about the layered, ripped, cut, and sandwiched together. Stitching is a slow process, so I can be sensitive to surprises, allowing the stitched drawings to tell me more than I think I know. Surrounded by inspirations, I am awed by the mystery and eager to create. I multitask, dream in code, read with urgency and play with intent. Most days, I am breathless.
Biography:
Paula Kovarik received her Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. As the creative director and owner of Shades of Gray, Inc., a graphic design studio, she specialized in communications. Paula’s textile art has been recognized by several national venues. She has been profiled in American Craft, Fiber ArtNow and Art Quilting Studio magazines. Paula lives and works in Memphis, TN.
Bonnie Peterson
Artist Statement
I use embroidery to investigate cultural and environmental issues. Mixing a variety of source materials such as scientific data and early explorer’s journals, I stitch words and numerical graphs on silk and velvet fabrics to make large narrative wall hangings and a series of annotated topographic maps. My recent projects examine geophysical climate issues inspired by a series of collaborations with scientists. I seek simple explanations for the important principles in environmental science and attempt to convey simple and complex layers of meaning. The foundation for each project begins with developing an understanding of published research and climate data generated by satellite instruments and other exploratory data collection tools. Conversations with scientists help me interpret key concepts and clarify their context and relevance. My interest in climate science is motivated by backpacking trips in California’s Sierra mountain range. Lengthy walks and primitive exploration integrate the impacts of contemporary society and historical context and provide a novel opportunity for the consideration of current events and ethical questions.
Biography
Bonnie Peterson is a textile artist investigating environmental and social issues. Recently she worked with scientists studying fire ecology, atmospheric science and lake chemistry to make artwork about climate science. She was an artist-in-residence at Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Isle Royale, and Crater Lake National Parks. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and in many private collections. Peterson has an extensive exhibition and grant funding record including four individual artist grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a grant from the Illinois Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and other awards. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois-Urbana and an MBA from DePaul University.
Donna June Katz
Artist Statement
Donna June Katz’s artwork---which includes art quilts, and paintings on cloth and wood panel--- is informed by natural history, geology, landscape, maps, cosmography, patterning, and concern for the environment. Her work explores the intersections of art and nature. Some of the imagery is based on fossils, topographical views, rivers, planets, constellations, insects, birds, vegetation, sky (and star) maps, landscapes and geological formations. Some recent pieces combine manmade objects with images from nature.
In her fiber work, each image, background and pattern is painted by Katz using thinned acrylic paint on unbleached muslin. These pieces are quilted, embroidered or framed.
Biography:
Donna June Katz has exhibited her work nationwide, most recently in Intersect Chicago/SOFA as one of twenty artists selected by the Studio Art Quilt Association. Other recent exhibits include two travelling exhibits; “H2oh!” (the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, and the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona MN being two of several venues), and “Aloft”. Her work can be seen in several publications including Art Quilts of the Midwest and Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World. She is the recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Award and two State of Illinois James R. Thompson awards for excellence in craft.
Broken Landscape
Sonji Hunt
88” x 64”
2009
Acrylic on painted canvas and muslin,dyed muslin, metal grommets, Peltex, poly-cotton thread, fusible web
Corseted Landscape
Sonji Hunt
77” x 58"
2011
Acrylic painted canvas, Peltex,fusible web, metal grommets,cotton embroidery floss, poly-cotton thread
Micro Farm Study V
Sonji Hunt
31” x 26"
2013
Acrylic painted canvas and paper,Peltex,fusible web,metal grommets,cotton embroidery floss, poly-cotton thread
Prairie State College
presents
Summer 2021 Alumni Exhibition
Featuring works by Jesse Wood, Carole Rose, Rebecca Slagle, Brian Mazique, Kevin
Michael Stuart,
Eurnice Harris-Scarver, Kenya Moffet-Garner, and Shannon Ryan
Gallery Guide - Alumni Exhibition
Alumni Exhibition, Summer 2021
Gallery Guide
Our summer exhibition features the varied work of eight Prairie State College alumni; this includes the work of Rebecca Slagle, who is not only a PSC alumni, but is a Professor of Photography at PSC. The show was derived from various alumni submitting their work; many more alumni who had studied in the art department were contacted than actually submitted work. But, it is delightful to see the range of works being done by this group of alumni, working in a nice variety of media.
Professor Slagle’s photographs vary in subject matter, but often include natural content, at times manipulated through infrared lighting. She explores the extremes to which photography can be altered, approaching photography creatively instead of objectively. This can be seen particularly in the work, “Lucidity.""
Other photographs by alumni Jessica Wood focus closely on subjects from nature that become formal shapes and almost abstractions. Her approach to the photograph is quite different than Professor Slagle’s, but she also shows an interest in the creative approach to photography as compared to simply documenting something that caught her eye.
Paintings by alumni range from the highly expressive, narrative, realistic and yet surreal images by Eurnice Harris-Scarver, who is engaged in her professional practice as an artist now for 20 years, to more loosely abstracted figural works by Kevin Stuart, who uses gestural brushwork and intense color to create his also narrative pieces.
Several alumni are working in multiple mediums; Carole Rose, who spent much time at PSC in photography and was Photographer of the Year in 2014, is showing works in mixed media, cyanotype and screenprint. Her works are quite varied. Another alumni working with various media is Shannon Ryan, whose work is based in fantasy imagery. Her work “Meltdown” shows this focus.
The last two artists show works that reflect a deep pursuit of their chosen media. Alumni Brian Mazique’s work in digital media with a cartoon emphasis tell a story with his invented characters interacting; he includes words and text to further tell his narrative.
Finally, alumni artist Kenya Moffet-Garner shows her strongly expressive works in ceramic. She creates figures that insinuate vulnerability and fragility, such as that in “Failing to Resist.” These works resonate powerfully her interest in identity and intersectionality.
It is very exciting to see these works by Prairie State College alumni, many of whom have followed artistic pursuits as a career. We wish them much success and are proud to feature these accomplished alumni who continue to pursue their creativity.
Jessica Wood
Artist Statement
I have always liked photographs...looking at them and taking them. I was fascinated by them. I would always wonder what was going on in that particular scene I was seeing. I hated to be in them though. I was never very fond of being in the photographs.
I didn’t start really taking photos until I got my first phone when I was between 13-16 years old. I took so many pictures! Many were my pets, clouds, and sunsets, a family member or two every now and then. It continued on like that through the years until 2012 when I had my first child, my son. I really began loving photography right then. I wanted to capture everything I could, he lit up my world even more. I wanted to capture memories to look back on for him so I started taking pictures of everything I thought would look good.
I got my first actual camera, a Canon Rebel SL1, during my first photography class at Prairie State College in Professor Slagle's intro to photography class. From there my journey has taken off and I have since graduated from Prairie State with an A.A.S in Photographic Studies.
The three photos I have chosen are titled Life, Holy Leaf, and Piney Spines.
Carole Rose
Artist Statement
I’m still developing my art with each piece I create. For me making art is an ongoing exploration to see different ways for creating my artwork. I usually don’t like to do the same old thing and like to push myself to stir it up. I don’t want anyone to see the same thing over and over, so I challenge myself to take it one step further.
I retired from the Navy in 2012 and started on a whole new journey into the challenges of college. With each class I took it brought me one step closer to who I am today. Just a girl form Chicago making my way in the world one screen-print, relief print, etching, photo, cyanotype or any other form of art I choose to make.
Rebecca Slagle
Artist Statement
Becky Slagle’s photography covers a wide range of genres from Astro, Macro to Landscape but she specializes in Infrared Photography. She uses a digital camera that has been converted to full spectrum, this means that her camera does not see the world in the way our human eyes do, instead, the camera allows infrared light to pass onto the sensor. Slagle has a wide range of filters that allow a certain number of nanometers, wavelengths, to reach the sensor, most of the filters create a world full of colors that set the imagination on a visual journey through space and time. Her dedicated black and white IR filter captures compositions in true black and white detail. Landscapes vibrate with technicolor while the human form appears as if it has been captured though x-ray revealing the veins beneath the skin. Becky enjoys editing her photos as much as capturing them, the editing process for an Infrared image is a stark contrast to editing conventional images, there are endless possibilities when working in the full spectrum.
Biography
Becky Slagle graduated from Prairie State College in 2001, she went on to earn her
BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003 and her MFA from Governors
State University in 2010. Becky coordinates and teaches the Photo and Multimedia
programs here at Prairie State College.
Prints can be ordered on paper, canvas, metal or acrylic. Sizes can also be adjusted for printing
Brian Mazique
Artist Statement
Ever since I was younger, I’ve always had a love of cartoons and illustration. I was the kid in class who would doodle little characters in his notebook and show them to my friends, I got more into reading in a general sense from graphic novels, comics, and illustrated works, and even now as an adult I find myself looking in bookstores or book sections of stores and seeing all these amazing works of storytelling and illustrations, from children’s stories to more adult focused stories and comics. With this, I very quickly realized how much I love creating stories and characters and I wanted to make this my career.
Most of the content I make is of my own ideas/characters or my interpretations of certain things or ideas in my own life. The best examples for this are when I create something based on the music I hear. I listen to music and create a story connected to it. Especially when I create stories for the characters I make.
My actual process always starts in a sketchbook. I always start in pencil and build the initial image on paper before I move it to the computer and start working in color and adding in details to help push my work farther. My art style is very cartoony and expressive. I love making expressive work using different lines, shapes and colors. They help me when I want to push expressions or make a character or setting look bold and unique.
The two biggest reasons on why I love making art are that I love creating characters, stories, and new interpretations of ideas; the second is that I love sharing my art with others. I love creating stories and characters along with them. I love to ask, “What would this kind of hero look like? or listen to the lyrics of a song and give visuals and make my own interpretations, and to see how those ideas you had in your head come together visually the way you want is amazing. Most importantly, talking to people not just about the art I made or ideas I had, but about different cartoons/movies we’ve seen or pieces of art we’ve seen in a gallery helped me make friends in school, it brings me closer to my family, and helps me create new ideas. I want my art and my stories to help create connections with people. I want to let my talents help someone smile. That is why I love make art.
Kevin Michael Stuart
Artist Statement
Maybe the stuff I'm doing never gains any traction till the world changes; and so then it can't really be about me or my voice, but about our relationships or maybe some stories. I never thought an artist makes work as an individual anyways. I think starting from this I’m allowed to ask how can I make this painting about a stranger about a friend? How can I make this friend new, or give them the quality of someone who is irreducible and of course living? Is there a way to make this heavy mark denoting someone's hand feel like a particular person's hand? Does this colour from the T-mobile store at 4am feel as warm as an old friend? I get to tell stories that don't have endings or beginnings, just sort of possibilities, and I get to tell them through relationships.
Biography:
Kevin Stuart is a painter who lives and works in Chicago; he also runs a Carl.
Talking to the Neighbors (campaigners at a street corner)
Kevin Michael Stuart
72 x 77
oil on Canvas POR
2020
Instrument Switch off (we never used your back porch for anything anyways)
Kevin Michael Stuart
72 x 79
oil on canvas
POR
Eurnice Harris-Scarver
Artist Statement
I see art as a visual communication of the voice. I believe that every person has an innate desire to be understood by others, and the artist is no exception. We are unique individuals however different, yet so alike in many ways. For me, what words cannot articulate, art becomes my translator. In everything that I create, my objective is for the viewer to not only appreciate the quality of the artwork, but perhaps leave informed, inspired and having a renewed understanding of a subject that they may not have otherwise given much thought.
Biography:
Mrs. Eurnice Harris-Scarver has been working as a professional artist for 20 years.
After college she started her own company Eurnice Harris Portraits and Designs, but
recently changed the name to GoodVictory Art Studio,LLC which is the current business
name. In 2016, she left an almost 12 year lucrative position in management to pursue
her art career full time. She balances her business responsibilities and art career
with her dedicated service to her church, community and family activities.
Mrs. Harris-Scarver holds a Bachelors of Art degree in Advertising and Art Direction and a minor in Illustrations from Chicago’s renowned Columbia College. She also holds an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Prairie State College, in Chicago Heights, IL where she was cited for academic excellence.
Mrs. Harris-Scarver specializes in what she calls concept illustrations, custom portraits, murals and other commercial art. Her versatility, style and artistic awareness are what separate her from other artists. She is not afraid to express her beliefs and conscience in her work, while producing high quality oil and acrylic paintings, and her graphite drawings works of art. She plans to continue branching out and growing her company so that she has the time to devote to traveling, teaching, and inspiring others through her work.
Awards and Gallery Showings:
North Park University, Chicago, IL
Solo Exhibition, The Inspired Truth, 2019
Tall Grass Art Gallery, Park Forest, IL 2019
Member
Legacy Foundation and Gary Public Transportation, IN
A winner of Bus Shelter Art Design Contest, 2017
Indiana Welcome Center, IN
Chosen to participate in a group showing, 2014
White Ripple Gallery, IN
Chosen to participate in a group showing, 2014
Eurnice Harris, B.A.
Kenya Moffet-Garner
Artist Statement
My artwork revolves around unconventional human anatomy in movement being bent and broken from its surroundings. I intentionally create bodies unrestricted by society norms by highlighting natural undulating features and exaggerating them. After realizing my own existence in art is inherently political and rooted in intersectionality, I wanted to showcase my experience through figures that looked like myself and others around me. I imagine my art displaying the connection between nudity, its impact on our vulnerability, and how we occupy space in the world.
Biography:
Kenya Moffett-Garner is from Chicago, IL and received her AFA from Prairie State
College and later received her BFA from Governor State University. She is currently
a first year MFA candidate at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
Failing to Resist
Kenya Moffet-Garner
31” x 17”
2020
ceramic
terra sigillata
slip and acrylic paint
$1000
Shannon Ryan
Artist Statement
My current work is an exploration of printmaking, a form of art I began learning last semester. I dabbled in stained glass last semester as well. Most of my art depicts themes of fantasy and slightly surreal subjects. I intend to move forward with representations of dreams and emotions. There’s something interesting about the interaction between something we’re familiar with, like people, animals, nature, and something unfamiliar to us such as supernatural and surreal themes. I typically focus on textures and line work in my art, so lino printing has easily become my favorite medium.
Biography:
Ryan is driven by the goal to create art that will make the viewer question their
world, society, and most importantly, themselves. She became interested in art during
middle school when she started drawing for fun. She took art classes all four years
of high school and was awarded Best Sculpture when she submitted work for the High
School Juried Exhibition at PSC. Shannon became an art major at Prairie State where
she expanded on her skills in drawing, painting, and digital art. There has been a
lot of turbulence throughout her journey, which has affected her art substantially.
While mental illness, trauma, and other burdens have continuously pulled her away
from her art, Shannon has recently become determined to let these struggles fuel her
work. She hopes to be more honest and open about her experiences through her art.
She is currently attending Governors State University to continue her studies. At
GSU, she has focused on printmaking. Shannon has explored a wide range of mediums
since middle school, though she hasn’t chosen a specific direction to take yet. She
draws inspiration from fantasy, sci-fi, surrealism, and nature.
