NEW SEMANTICS GALLERY

THE 31ST BIENNIAL ART COMPETITION EXHIBIT

June 27 – September 21, 2025

• Exhibit Open: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am to 5 pm & Sunday 1 to 5 pm
• Gallery Admission – Free

GATHER AT THE GALLERIES – EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION

Friday, June 27 | 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Admission $10.00 | Cedarhurst Members – Free

Open bar and appetizers | 5 to 6 pm
Biennial Art Competition Exhibit Awards Announcement | 6 pm
Gallery hop to see the art and meet the artists | 5 to 7 pm
Shuttle rides to Shrode Art Center | 6 to 7 pm

PROGRAMMING:

• ART CHAT – Thursday, July 10 | 6:15 pm during TNL – New Semantics Gallery | Free admission | Moderated Rusty Freeman – Curator

• ART CHAT – Thursday, August 14 | 6:15 pm during TNL – New Semantics Gallery | Free admission | Moderated by Rusty Freeman – Curator

About the Exhibit

The 2025 Cedarhurst Biennial Competition Exhibition artistically reflects midwest culture through 80 works of art of great diversity and creative imagination, reflecting the region’s vibrant people and their communities.

A total of 322 works were submitted for judging and the art selected for the gallery exhibition was created by 64 artists from 43 towns.

Click to download and view the complete exhibition catalog

Gallery Sponsors:

Hunt and Donna Bonan

Exhibit Sponsors:

Bill and Sylvia Howard

2025 BIENNIAL JUDGE

Michael Aldag is a practicing fine artist born and raised in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Aldag explores a variety of artistic media. His subject matter is the world of the overlooked. Abandoned historical buildings, churches, religious symbols, and classical statues are favorites. Aldag listens to a prophetic voice that speaks from these ruins and rural habitats which is then translated into his art. Aldag earned his BFA from the Columbus College of Art & Design. He has been an active member of the Illinois Art League since 2009. Aldag exhibited in 2022 at Cedarhurst in a two-artist exhibition. Aldag recently co-juried Cedarhurst’s Inaugural High School Art Competition. His paintings and photographs are in the collections of numerous individuals, the Jefferson County Health Department, and the Ella Elizabeth Hise Museum of Regional Art at Southeastern Illinois College Harrisburg. Aldag was recently named to the 2023 Marquis Who’s Who in America Biographical Registry.

JURY STATEMENT

by Michael Aldag

We’re living in a time where politics has become the new religion. This a highly-politicized, divisive world. Family members and friends cut ties because of opposing views or party affiliations. There’s an over-saturation of stories from news commentators and podcasters that are aimed to tickle the ears of their target audiences. Civil dialogue and discussion boards are abandoned and replaced by groupthink and echo chambers.

Technology also continues to pervade our lives, decreasing more personal interactions. Meaningful face-to-face conversations give way to gifs and emojis. And with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming more prevalent, this only looks to escalate.

These factors, along with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have certainly aided in the formation of this intense, isolating environment. You feel the impact of it expressed in many of the artworks in this exhibit, such as Too Many Headlines, Proximal Isolation, and Prone.

In reaction to these factors, there’s a yearning for peaceful refuge as well as relationship. Evident in Beach House, St. Francis of Assisi, and Honor and Respect. Some artists also depict signs of resilience and hope, as shown in We Thought Her Lost, Ethereal Vow, and Morning Light.

I’m reminded of a quote by famed dancer Twyla Tharp, “art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” Art is a great escape. The world you live in doesn’t have to be the one you dwell on.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as the juror for this major regional competition. I know how it feels to be a part of this show, and to go through the process of entering and waiting to learn of the selections. Being able to view the works created by fellow artists and thus learning more about the efforts, sentiments, and visions expressed in these pieces is both relatable and humbling. So, judging a show like this was not an easy task nor one that I took lightly.

Thank you to all the artists who entered this competition. For your willingness, and boldness, in sharing your voice with our creative community.