August 24
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I’M GONNA LIVE FOREVER, OR DIE TRYING.
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ARTIST’S CORNER
Faith Heller
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EMILY COTTERMAN • STAFF WRITER
Faith Heller’s latest exhibit is “Extinction Series” is a collection of artwork that reflects her love and concern of endangered species and ecology.This exhibit will be featured at the Wind, Water & Light Gallery until August 31st. Along with being a professional artist, Heller was an art critic for the Winston-Salem Journal, and she now teaches art history at the Lake Land College in Mattoon.
CHRISTINA LEUNG
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PHOTOS
Faith Heller is a professional artist whose works reflect a deep concern for ecology.
107 N. Walnut M-Th • 10.30-5.30
Downtown Fri-Sat • 10.30-5.00 Champaign Sun • 11.00-4.00
Why do you create art revolving around ecology?
I first began portraying endangered species when I noticed the silence in my North Carolina backyard. That may sound strange, but up until that time my backyard rang with frog-song. However, little by little, without my noticing, the tree-frogs had disappeared. My entire, beautiful, madly-colored symphony was irrevocably gone, done in by auto emissions, acid rain - you name it. So, I decided to use my art to make a political statement on endangerment. What are your future projects and exhibits?
In the future, for now, I plan to continue creating oil paintings and Prismacolor pencil drawings that ref lect my deep concern for endangered species and the ecology. What do you hope audiences will feel and think when seeing your work?
I hope that people will understand the political statement that I am making about endangerment and extinction in my work, while at the same time appreciating it for the beauty of its aesthetic and spiritual qualities.
OPEN AUDITIONS Titled “HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE,” this Prismacolor-pencil drawing is one of Faith Heller’s works in her Extinction Series, which is currently on display at the Wind Water & Light Gallery in downtown Champaign. would have no useful purpose. So, the paper tells us that even recycling weeds can keep people from endangerment, or extinction. A nother impor tant aspect of this paper is its color and texture, which almost makes it look like the surface of a cave wall, or a stretched hide.
Casting Male and Female Roles ages 18-70s: Audition will consist of readings from the script and possible improv work. Character information and readings are online at http://www.parkland.edu/ theatre/auditions.
How do you define mixed media?
I define mixed-media as the combination of more than one medium within a single work of art. For example, in my “Memory Montages,” I combine collage with colored pencil drawing.
All members of the community, Parkland and U of I students, with or without prior acting experience are welcome to attend. We encourage diversity. Performances: September 27 - October 8
How does teaching affect your art?
sounds from the scene
I teach art history and one of the reasons that I enjoy it so much is because it allows me to use art as a means to experience the ancient past, to go places where no camera has ever been. I particularly enjoy teaching about prehistoric cave art. And I think that the influence of that art is evident in my “Extinction Series” drawings.
By David Lindsay-Abaire Director: David N. Morgan Sunday, August 27 • 5-8 pm Parkland College Theatre
Why do you create art on hand-made paper?
The paper that these images are drawn on is a political statement in itself. It is handmade by the inhabitants of a village in Bangladesh and is the villagers’ only f inancial resource. It’s made from weeds that g row on the shore of a nearby river that otherwise
Wonder of the World
One of Faith Heller’s Prismacolor-pencil drawings in her Extinction Series, which is currently on display at the Wind Water & Light Gallery in downtown Champaign.
Questions: Call 217/356-3758 Parkland College Theatre 2400 West Bradley Avenue • Champaign, IL 61821 217/351-2528 • www.parkland.edu/theatre
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