Joe McCauley Gallery exhibit 'The Floating World' reflects Japanese culture

The Joe McCauley Gallery at Heartland Community College presents The Floating World, an exhibition of work inspired by Japanese culture. The exhibit opens on March 20, 2023, and runs through May 11, 2023. 

The Floating World demonstrates how a single culture influenced four different art practices with a common focus on the emotional and mental experience of existence. Each artist has a different connection to Japanese culture, but all four artists show reverence for the tradition and influence of Japanese culture. 

The exhibit features artwork from four artists: Japanese-American Dallas-based visual artist Nishiki Sugawara-Beda, Japanese printmaker Erika Shiba, Western Illinois University art professor Jenny Knavel, and Peoria-based printmaker Cathie Crawford. Their works represent different aspects of Japanese culture, such as Kakejiku landscapes and Ukiyo-e-inspired prints. 

“This exhibition honors Japanese art, culture, and the variety of influences it has had on these artists, alongside the beauty and creativity in each artist’s works,” says Joe McCauley Gallery Coordinator Shahrbanoo Hamzeh. “Looking at the works, there is something hard to grasp fully. You feel transcendency, something beyond what you are actually seeing.” 

An exhibit reception is planned for April 25 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00p.m. at the Gallery. The reception coincides with Heartland’s Japanese Cultural Festival on campus on April 24 and 25. 

The Floating World exhibit is free and open to the public on weekdays during regular gallery hours.

About the Joe McCauley Gallery

Exhibits, events, and parking at Heartland’s Joe McCauley Gallery are free. The gallery is in room 2507 of the Instructional Commons Building (ICB) on Heartland's Normal campus, 1500 W. Raab Road. 

Hours are Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (on days the College is open). Appointments for groups can also be made upon request. 

For more information about this exhibit, visit https://www.heartland.edu/artGallery or contact Gallery Coordinator, Shahrbanoo Hamzeh at Shahrbanoo.Hamzeh@heartland.edu.