SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – The Art & Design Department of South Suburban College (SSC) is presenting a memorial exhibition of Art Works by Joseph “Joe” Rejholec – colleague, mentor, friend, artist and faculty member of South Suburban College, in the college’s Thiel Gallery from October 25 through November 22, with a reception on Thursday, October 27th from 4-7 p.m.
A friend and inspiration to many artists, Joe was born in Nyack, New York, He was part of the New York Art Students League, went to Syracuse University on a hockey scholarship for a semester, and later attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, to study history where he became interested in pursuing art and earned a BA. He attended Northern Illinois University for his MA in Fine Art. Joe was our longtime Art & Design department chair, and a dedicated teacher and gallery director at South Suburban College for forty years. He was a tireless supporter of the arts who served on numerous arts panels and selection committees, and he was inspirational in the lives of many students and professionals. He resided in Crete, IL where he worked from his home studio until 2016.
Influenced by Abstract Expressionism, Jazz, African Art, the smell of burning metal, Camel cigarettes, and coffee, Joe was “Old School” in so many ways. He epitomized the artist as maker, using the sweet poetry of his welded steel sculpture’s two-dimensional line and mass in the service of framing space in the tradition of David Smith, Jacques Lipchitz, Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline and others. His work flies in the face of the flattening elements of Pop Art & Minimalism, transcending stylistic impulses into the realm of the sculptor’s true passion for the framing of the real space of his world.
Joe once said, “To be a sculptor, one must have a good sense of humor. An artist takes a lot of ribbing…from those who do not understand the work.” The public is welcome to visit this art exhibition and reception at no charge. The Thiel Gallery is on the fourth floor in the Art & Design hallway and is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. Call (708) 596-2000, ext. 2445 or ext. 2300 for more information.
