After almost six years, Santa Rosa Junior College’s faculty art show returned to present artwork created by instructors with a reception March 9 at the Robert F Agrella Gallery.
The show allows students and the public to appreciate the various types of art that SRJC provides, while also helping people who are interested in art choose which classes they would like to pursue.
People entering the reception were met with a warm room and a table full of snacks surrounded by the beautiful artwork displayed by the Art 53 Exhibition Design and Management class. Art faculty were on hand to answer questions.
Some of the people present, such as Zoe Devore, 20, who is in her first year of college and taking a course in ceramics, were students who came to support their art teachers. “The Faculty art show is important and helpful,” Devore said. “It can be a learning tool to those who are interested in art. It allows us to see the teachers, who have years of experience, show their work.”
The art faculty helped both newcomers and students understand the different methods used in art, providing examples and making attendees feel welcome. Their use of lines, texture and form made their passion for their craft apparent. Paintings, interspersed with photographs and sculptures throughout the gallery, allowed viewers to see the delicate processes it took to bring these constructs to life.
Michael McGinnis, a sculpture instructor, provided two pieces of art. The first is a photograph of a sculpture called “GREY MATTER” that can currently be found in a library that can be seen from Bodega Bay. When asked what the photograph means, McGinnis said, “It represents the importance of our library’s role in providing information, as well as the vetting of that information.”
His second piece of artwork, called “PORTAL,” is the latest addition to his Perplexus series. Perplexus is a 3D puzzle where the goal is to navigate a small ball through a maze within a see-through sphere. In addition to teaching sculpture, McGinnis also teaches 3D design.
Hannah Skoonberg, a member of the Art department since 2015, encouraged students to branch out and not be afraid of attempting new curriculums. “A lot of students are worried about their careers, but you don’t have to figure out everything right away,” she said. “Making art is not something that you always start out being good at. It’s a skill that you learn like any other. If we didn’t believe art could be taught, then we wouldn’t be here as a department.”
The 2023 Faculty Show at the Robert F Agrella Gallery runs through March 30.
