LLCC’s Murray Gallery is hosting the artwork of Trish Duknoski and Suzanne Traylor, LLCC students who share an enthusiasm for lifelong learning. “Amor Discendi” will be on display Oct. 27 through Nov. 20. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second floor of Menard Hall.
The arts tend to draw a particular group of non-traditional students, such as Ms. Duknoski and Ms. Traylor who take classes for the joy of learning and for refining their craft. The result of these two artists’ ceaseless love of learning is evident in “Amor Discendi.”
Ms. Duknoski raised a family and made her living in association management in Springfield before she was introduced to clay through an adult education class in 2000. Her true journey into the world of pottery began in 2006 at LLCC with Professor Michelle Coakes. Duknoski remembers the old crocks used by her grandparents and parents for baking and storing foods, and those childhood memories strongly influence her work. She says, “There is something exciting about sipping coffee out of a wheel-thrown ceramic cup or baking a casserole in a dish, especially when it has been made with my own hands.” Over the last couple of years, she has advanced to teaching adults through the LLCC Community Education program and continues to take classes at LLCC.
Ms. Traylor is a native of Illinois and has lived in Springfield since 1978. She worked for the state of Illinois from 1979 until 2004. Upon retirement in 2004, she began taking painting courses at LLCC. She has taken classes from current LLCC professors Thom Whalen and Al Shull, as well as multiple life-drawing classes. With a true artist’s eye for the aesthetic, Traylor deftly executes portraits of family, friends, pets and other interesting faces from the community. Though clearly a skilled painter who can work solo in the studio, she places a high value on the exchange of ideas among artists in the classroom setting.
A closing reception, open to the community, will be held Friday, Nov. 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
scholarships to attend the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) District 3 conference Oct. 22-24 in Green Bay, Wisc. District 3 covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario. Congratulations, Rose!