McHenry County College (MCC) is currently showcasing Off/Grid, a series of paintings by Chicago-Based artist April Behnke, now through April 17 in Galleries One and Two, located inside and outside the Learning Commons (A212).
In Off/Grid, Behnke presents a series of paintings that explore perception, structure, and visual instability. The work is rooted in the grid, but deliberately pushes against its order. Behnke’s paintings often layer multiple organizing systems at once, including grids, diamonds, diagonal lines, and waves. Off/Grid reflects Behnke’s interest in perception as an active experience. The work invites viewers to slow down, test their expectations, and remain engaged as the paintings shift between stability and instability, clarity and ambiguity. Rather than offering fixed meaning, the paintings create space for ongoing visual and mental interaction.
April Behnke received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her BFA from Cornell University. She has completed residencies at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha and the Slak Foundation in the Netherlands. Behnke has exhibited nationally and internationally, including in Mexico City, Seoul, New York City, Berlin, Chicago, London, and Basel.
There will be an artist talk with Behnke on Wednesday, April 1 from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the Luecht Auditorium (B170). An artist reception will follow in Gallery One (A212). The event is free and open to the public.
For more details about Behnke, visit www.aprilbehnke.com or follow her on Instagram @aprilbehnke.
For more information about the art galleries at MCC, to request pricing, or to be added to the mailing list for upcoming exhibitions, please contact Trevor Power, Art Gallery Curator, at tpower@mchenry.edu.
