'Japan Juxtaposed' opens with Joseph LeBlanc's textile collection

25 Jun '08

5 min read

The Gallery at Penn College, on the third floor of Pennsylvania College of Technology's Madigan Library, will open its 2008-09 slate in July with “Japan Juxtaposed: Traditional Textiles/Modern Images.” It is the first of 11 exhibits for the academic year, which represent a wide variety of expression.

“Japan Juxtaposed” opens July 8 with a reception in the gallery scheduled for 5-7 p.m. The textiles, from the personal collection of Joseph E. LeBlanc, instructor of physics, feature geometric patterns and designs based on nature, created using the classic Japanese method of resist-dyeing called Shibori.

Also exhibited will be photographs by Kirk Pedersen, an urban landscape artist, that feature modern-day Tokyo, Japan's largest city. Pedersen is a professor of art at Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, Calif., and was recently an invited visiting artist and guest lecturer in China. LeBlanc will offer a gallery talk July 8 at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit runs through Aug. 6.

Other events scheduled in conjunction with this exhibit include a special lecture, “Japanese Culture as Seen Through Textiles” on July 8 at 7 p.m.; Asian storytelling for children with LeBlanc, Tuesday, July 15, at 9:30 a.m.; and a workshop, “Stitched Shibori on Pashmina Scarves,” (registration and fees apply) on Friday, July 25.

The gallery will host “Third Eye” by Brad Holland from Aug. 14 through Sept. 14. Holland, considered one of the world's top illustrators, merges satire and wit with compassion and humanity. His drawings and paintings can be followed through such publications as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire and The Atlantic Monthly. His work can also be found on CD covers, on theater posters and on the walls of Rio Casino in Las Vegas.

The opening reception for “Third Eye,” part of the gallery's Current View Artist Series, will be held Tuesday, Aug. 26, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Holland will offer a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. Holland will also offer a special lecture in Penn's Inn in the Bush Campus Center at 4 p.m.; space is limited, and reservations are required.

Sponsored by the college's media arts department, the Current View Artist Series showcases contemporary artists working in a variety of media. It provides an opportunity to broaden and enrich the educational experience at Penn College.

The gallery will host “New Paintings” by Judith Kalina from Sept. 19 through Oct. 16. Kalina traveled with American and European circuses for almost a decade and uses these experiences as a source for her art. In addition to circus imagery, her semi-abstract work portrays intimate family moments and her own memories.

Kalina's work is in various collections including The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, Ringling College of Art and Design, and the Omega Institute. The opening reception for “New Paintings” is scheduled for 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 23. Kalina will offer a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit is part of the Current View Artist Series.

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