PSC board expands  student art collection

• Reprints

The Prairie State College Board of Trustees recently added three works to the school’s Student Art Collection.

The pieces were chosen from the May Graduating Student Exhibit and the 28th annual Fall Exhibition of Photographer of the Year.

The pieces selected were “Absence of a Memory,” a painting by William Matthews III, of Matteson; “Drip,” a photograph by Michael Carr, of Lansing; and “Whole in the Wall Hole,” a photograph by Sherryl Smith, of Park Forest.

Smith, who also was this year’s featured Photographer of the Year, said her interest in photography started at a young age.

“I loved how photos told stories and images explained things to me that words were never able to do,” she said. “I could experience pain, joy and sorrow, all from one paragraph.”

Established in 2008, the collection features student artwork, and is exhibited in prominent places throughout campus. The collection now includes 19 pieces.

Art professor Paul Rinaldi said: “We are very proud of the high level work our students are creating. The collection contributes in a major way to the cultural presence in our community.”