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Purdue University Northwest to celebrate CHESS Gallery grand reopening

information provided by Purdue University Northwest

HAMMOND, Ind. (March 3, 2019) – Purdue University Northwest’s College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences Art Gallery will celebrate the launch of its newly changed location on March 5 from 5:00-7:00pm. The grand reopening will be commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and exhibit showcasing students’ art and photography from their study abroad trip to Paris.

The gallery, previously located on Kennedy Avenue, has been moved to 7011 Indianapolis Boulevard.
Less than a mile away from the main campus, access to the gallery is now more convenient for the students at Purdue. It is also in proximity of other properties affiliated with the university with potential for classes to be held there.

Dr. Thomas J. Roach, department chair of the Communication and Creative Arts Department at PNW, looks forward to the change. “This gallery is a part of a continuing effort we have been making to expand art, music, and theater for the past five years,” Roach said.

Photography from the students who have been a part of the study abroad program to Paris will be featured at the exhibit as a part of the reopening. The study abroad trip has become increasingly popular in the past five years.

Zachary Golab, a general communication major at PNW, was one of the students to take the photography course offered in Paris in the summer of 2017. “It was such an amazing experience,” Golab said. “There is no better place than Paris in the world to hone your artistic abilities. The fact that students get to share their work with the community here makes it particularly rewarding.”

Zachary Golab (left) and Jake Giles discuss the art in the CHESS gallery. (Photo provided)

Roach has taught photography to the study abroad students in the previous years and is excited to see the exhibit. “Students have been really inspired by the art scene in Paris and have produced some extraordinary fine art prints. This exhibit is a retrospect of that time, and I’m looking forward to seeing the talent,” Roach said.

Ellen Campbell, director of the gallery, curated the art that will be showcased. “I love looking through the art captured by the students because you can relive the memory with them,” Campbell said. “You can see where they went, what they saw, the mood associated with the trip and the emotions. These photographs help capture all of those memories in an image, and that’s the beauty of it.”

Just as the previous gallery, the new location is co-sponsored by the CHESS Dean’s Office and is available to the entirety of the campus and the community.

Roach is thankful for all the help and is hopeful for the future of the gallery. “The CHESS Gallery is not meant just for our department,” Roach said. “It helps the university provide a full range of art classes, exhibits, and public screenings.”

Campbell anticipates that new location of the gallery will generate more involvement. “We want to bring in new artists from the community along with the students and increase the vitality of art in Hammond,” said Campbell.

Golab had his work displayed at the previous gallery and hopes that people understand its benefits. “It was validating having my photos on display because I got to show all my hard work and experiences that I invested into my art,” Golab said. “I can’t wait to see the gallery continue to grow and host even more creativity from PNW and the community.”

The Lansing Journal
The Lansing Journalhttps://thelansingjournal.com
The Lansing Journal publishes news releases from state, county, and local officials who provide information that impacts local community life. The particular contributor of each post is indicated in the byline.