The Ferguson Art Gallery at Concordia University Chicago is proud to announce its first exhibit of the Spring 2022 semester, "Land of Wonder" by Nikkole Huss. The landscape art exhibit is free and open to the public from Jan. 10 to Feb. 21. A reception with the artist will be held in the gallery Sunday, Feb. 20 from 2-4 p.m., with an artist’s talk at 3 p.m.
“Land of Wonder” nods to the history of landscape art by encouraging the exploration and preservation of nature. Through painting, photography, fiber and installation, Huss reimagines and reinvents natural environments. The immersive installation "Beneath the Surface" is inspired by overwhelming feelings of isolation during the global pandemic and portrays an underwater, botanical nursery. “Wonder can evoke a sense of awe, but also investigate an atmosphere in flux,” she says. “Nature is fragile and vulnerable. Yet, the promise of exemplifying a duality of inner strength, adaptability and resilience is possible. Amid pandemic nerves, there is comfort in the appreciation of a land of wonder and imagination.”
Huss is a professor of art, curator of the art collection and Arts Division chair at Concordia University Chicago. Her 2019 solo show, Vanishing Landscapes at Gallery UNO Projektraum Berlin was juried into 48 Stunden Neukölln, the largest independent festival of the arts in Berlin, Germany, and was selected for Rome Art Week and Berlin Art Week. In 2021, Huss returned to 48 Stunden Neukölln and Rome Art Week with a new installation. Her art has been exhibited at Soho20 Chelsea Gallery, New York City; MM Galleries, San Francisco; 3 Arts Club of Chicago; Atrium Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland; Berliner Liste, Germany; and the Tokyo International Art Fair, Japan. Huss earned her MFA in studio art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“Nikkole Huss is a very accomplished artist who has mastered numerous media, and I am fortunate to have had her as my colleague at CUC for 15 years,” says BettyAnn Mocek, professor of art and Ferguson Gallery director. “Her contribution to the University and our students is outstanding. Hosting her art in the gallery is not only exciting but inspiring to our students, faculty and staff.”
The Ferguson Art Gallery is located in Kretzmann Hall at Concordia University Chicago, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest, IL. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At this time, face masks are required for all individuals indoors. For more information, visit CUChicago.edu/ferguson or call 708-209-3013.