Don’t let your pumpkins go to waste! This November, you’re encouraged to give your jack-o-lanterns and decorative gourds a second life by composting them instead of tossing them in the trash. All pumpkins and gourds free of paint, stickers, glitter, or other synthetic decorations can be dropped off in the compost bins outside of 305 N. School St. in Normal throughout the month of November.

Ella Gage’s solo exhibit at the Rachel Cooper Art Gallery, “Perception,” is a set of self-portraits in acrylic paint and oil pastel, which she created to explore her experiences over the years in college. The artwork visually represents her perceptions of herself and how others perceive her, using saturated color and diverse depictions of her daily life to foster a deeper understanding of her myriad identities.Gage is an artist from Fort Wayne, Indiana, currently based in Normal, Illinois, where she studies finance at Illinois State University. Her artistic experience includes painting as a hobby since her teenage years. Notably, two of her pieces, “Duality” and “Fractured,” were selected for the 2025 Student Annual at the University Galleries of ISU. Additionally, her artwork “As I Am” was part of A Conversation Between: A Call and Response Exhibition at the Galleries in Normal. Ella has also participated in the Fort Wayne Museum of Art’s 2023 Chalk Walk and the New Haven Quick Draw.The exhibition is free and open to the public during gallery hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from November 3, 2025, to April 30, 2026. The artist reception takes place January 23, 2026.

Thanksgiving vacation begins at 12 p.m. Saturday, November 23. Classes resume December 2.