Highland Community College Faculty Art Exhibit Opens Oct. 21
Sculpture, mixed media drawings and illustrations by three instructors go on display at the Ferguson Fine Arts Center in Freeport through Dec. 4.
Three visual arts instructors at Highland Community College will present new mixed media drawings, sculpture and illustrations during an annual exhibition opening Oct. 21 in Freeport, Illinois.
Robert Apolloni, Jocelyn Chase and Arthur Santoro are showing recent work inside the Highland Gallery at the Ferguson Fine Arts Center. The showcase runs through Dec. 4 and remains free to the public, offering local residents access to professional art without gallery admission fees typical of commercial spaces in larger metropolitan markets.
Community college faculty exhibitions serve a dual purpose in regional arts ecosystems. They provide practicing artists who teach with a dedicated venue for their independent studio work while demonstrating active professional engagement to students enrolled in fine arts programs. Unlike student showcases or visiting artist residencies, faculty exhibits reveal the ongoing creative output of the educators shaping the curriculum.
The Ferguson Fine Arts Center anchors the visual and performing arts programming at Highland Community College, which serves Stephenson County and surrounding areas in northwestern Illinois. The campus sits at 2998 W. Pearl City Rd., positioning the gallery as one of the primary exhibition venues accessible to Freeport residents outside of local historical museums or private studios.
Apolloni contributes mixed media drawings to the installation, working across combined materials rather than traditional single-medium formats. Chase presents sculpture, introducing three-dimensional work into the gallery space. Santoro rounds out the exhibition with mixed media illustrations, expanding the two-dimensional offerings beyond conventional painting or printmaking.
A public reception is scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 21. Attendees can meet the three artists and view the installations alongside current students, college personnel and other community members. Refreshments will be provided during the opening event.
The Highland Gallery maintains regular public hours through the Dec. 4 closing date.
