Underpinnings: A Group Exhibition

Jen Broemel, Problem Solved and Beautifully Flawed, 54 x 54 inches, Repurposed clothing quilted and hand embroidered, 2018

Jen Broemel, Marika Christofides, Chad Erpelding, Michael Thompson

October 5 - November 7, 2026

Dear friends of the gallery,

Underpinnings: A Group Exhibition continues this week in the Gallery!

Thank you to everyone who attended our reception last Thursday, October 8! We were pleased to host Marika Christofides, a participating artist and assistant professor of Studio Art at Oklahoma State University, who spoke at the reception and gave a lecture earlier that day in the Staerkel Planetarium.

The exhibition showcases ceramics, printmaking, mixed media, painting, and fiber artwork by four distinguished artists: Jen Broemel, Marika Christofides, Chad Erpelding, and Michael Thompson. Based in Indianapolis, Jen Broemel works in fiber and quilting. Marika Christofides, based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is a printmaker and installation artist. Chad Erpelding, a painter from Boise, Idaho, also serves as a professor of Art, Drawing, and Painting at Boise State University. Michael Thompson is a multimedia artist from Chicago who has received multiple fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council.

Jen Broemel, Seeing It All Around, 19 x 20 inches, Collaged quilt fragments, 2020

Jen Broemel, House Cloud #1, 32 x 24 inches, Collaged quilt fragments, 2023

Through inventive material experimentation, the artists explore subjects such as identity, storytelling, material history, mapping, and systems. Their artwork investigates and reveals the structures that lie behind the fabric of modern society. The exhibition encourages visitors to consider the often-unseen systems and stories that influence both art and life, and how personal and collective experiences are shaped, recorded, and understood.

This week, our email features the work of artist Jen Broemel. Broemel is a fiber artist, soft sculptor, and designer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Broemel has had solo exhibitions at the Indianapolis Art Center and Methodist Rotating Gallery. Group exhibitions include shows at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Carnegie Center for Art & History, and many galleries and cultural centers around the U.S. She has created murals and other public works for the High Art Billboard Project, The Indianapolis International Airport, and The Arts Council of Indianapolis’ Indy Art and Seek Project.

Describing her work, Broemel said, "My work is initiated by my interest in color, light, space, and their ever-changing interaction. Through my love of the process and the slowness of sewing, I find joy in intuitively stitching layers of vibrantly colored cloth into geometrically abstracted textile works that move and are moving. Cloth as a medium interests me for its history, abundance, and availability. I am captivated by the way in which the materials layer and the stitches capture light. I am motivated by the way they feel as they are worked. I am drawn in by the way the overlapping layers of colored cloth and thread mix and blend, transforming and guiding the work, adding texture, contrast, and comfort with every stitch."

If you did not get a chance to join us at the reception last Thursday, the Gallery is open this week Monday–Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. The exhibition will be open until Saturday, November 7.

See you in the Gallery,

Lisa Costello

Director, Giertz Gallery

Your donation is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of the Giertz Gallery through a direct donation.

Donate to Giertz Gallery

Prefer to write a check? Please make your donation check to:

Giertz Gallery at Parkland College

2400 W. Bradley Ave

Champaign, IL 61821

Please note! Once on campus, locating the Gallery is a breeze. Start by using the M6 parking lot on the north corner of campus. Enter through door X7, turn left, and follow the ramps uphill to the highest point on the first floor, where the Gallery is located. The gallery windows overlook the outdoor fountain area.

All events in the accessible gallery are free and open to the public. Parkland College is a section 504/ADA-compliant institution. For accommodations, call 217/353-2338 or email accessibilityservices@parkland.edu.

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