Many of Prairie State College’s instructors not only teach but also create works of their own.

The exhibit “Medley” from Wednesday to Feb. 1 at the school’s Christopher Art Gallery in Chicago Heights features pieces by instructors from the liberal arts departments at Prairie State College.

“It highlights not only our full-time faculty but also adjunct faculty,” said Beth Shadur, director of the Christopher Art Gallery.

“It’s important to talk about the quality of our faculty and the quality of the work that they’re producing. Teaching and creation of art are two different things. These are both aspects of what they bring to the college experience,” she said.

“The idea of being a working artist is a simple aspect that oftentimes students miss. To see your faculty member being a professional artist becomes an important part of that in terms of mentorship and inspiration and the reality of the fact that you can become an artist and that art can become a career.”

Full-time faculty with work in the exhibit include Paul Rinaldi, professor and coordinator of fine arts, with mixed media; Lou Shields, professor of fine and applied arts, with drawings and paintings; and Rebecca Slagle, associate professor of visual communications and multimedia arts and coordinator of photography, with photos.

“We have a great diversity in terms of both media and subject matter, and I think that’s very richly reflected in the show,” Shadur said.

“Paul Rinaldi has extensive exhibition experience, and his works are truly very beautiful. He does a lot of experimenting with mixed media.

“I do know Lou Shields as a musician because I’ve attended things where he’s performed. He’s a highly talented blues musician. There’s personality in the works that are so reflective of his love for that music and the culture that it talks about. That’s very reflected, and I love that about it.

“Rebecca Slagle’s three pieces in this show are on metal, which is unusual for photography and very atmospheric.”

Adjunct faculty involved in the exhibition include David Gremp, George Kassal, Gail Otterson and Valerie Taglieri.

“Part of what you’re seeing in the wide variety of works is that people are coming really from so many different directions and pursuing such a wide variety of subject matter as well as technique. I think that’s a wonderful thing for students to see that diversity,” Shadur said.

She works primarily in watercolor with mixed media and has three pieces, including a handmade artist book, in “Medley.”

“I thought it would be interesting to bring in an artist book because that’s not something most people see frequently,” said Shadur, who has collaborated with poet Lois Roma-Deeley, of Arizona, for 13 years to create pieces incorporating poetry and text.

Shadur also is part of a exhibition entitled “Water. Fire. Ice. Earth. Air.” set for Jan. 19 to Feb. 24 at Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery in Park Forest.

She marks six years in January as director of Christopher Art Gallery.

“I really work very hard to make it comfortable for students to attend because these are students who may not have other experiences in viewing art. They might not frequent galleries or museums,” Shadur said.

“We want to make this something that belongs to them and something that they can enjoy. That’s a very important focus that I aspire to.”

A reception for “Medley” will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 23.

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter.