Joe McCauley Gallery Presents 'An Unblighted Area'

An exhibit presented this fall at Heartland Community College displays art made out of “total garbage.” 

Heartland’s Joe McCauley Gallery presents the collection An Unblighted Area created by Jessica McGhee. The exhibit runs from August 19 to October 11, 2024. 

McGhee is an eco-friendly sustainability artist committed to lowering her footprint by supporting local conservation organizations, engaging in regular clean-ups, and using found plastics in her work. McGhee’s artwork reflects her efforts to make beautiful things and a beautiful life out of “total garbage.” Her transformation of discarded items acts as a metaphor for the challenges she has faced both mentally and physically. 

In 2009, McGhee helped turn an abandoned lot across from her bar on Main Street in Peoria into a community garden. Since then, with changes to the neighborhood that include closing her own business in 2015, the once-thriving garden was abandoned for years and now flaunts a “No Trespassing” sign. In 2023, McGhee moved back into the same building to open her art studio and was unable to start a new garden, so she started creating an artistic garden of her own using paper flowers to aid her in telling this story. 

“I always try to create things that have a story and are somewhat surprising,” McGhee states. “The ingredients to my work start as garbage, but when you see the end result, I want that fact to come as a surprise.” 

In addition to the exhibit An Unblighted Area at the Gallery, McGhee will showcase her small business and online shop at the College in Instructional Commons Building (ICB) 2100. McGhee produces jewelry made from found plastics and other discards, promoting her craft, art, and activism through social media and occasionally viral posts. This provides further opportunity for Heartland students to connect with McGhee’s creative endeavors. 

The exhibit, An Unblighted Area, is free and open to the public on weekdays during regular gallery hours. An artist reception will be held on September 4 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

About the Artist

Jessica McGhee is a Central Illinois artist renowned for her passionate exploration of environmental issues. Her work not only invites critical reflection on pressing ecological concerns but also offers unique opportunities for our students to engage with art as a vehicle for social and environmental activism. Her online presence as @loveheylola on social media has helped her spread her artwork as well as educate others about the environment. 

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.  

For more information about this exhibit, and Gallery hours visit https://www.heartland.edu/artGallery.