The 70th student art exhibition at the Mt.SAC Art Gallery will be held on Thursday, May 10 starting at 4 p.m. on campus. Mt.SAC is one of the few community colleges operating a professionally run art gallery featuring popular artists and student work that showcase traditional and contemporary art that depicts multicultural and traditional issues.
Every year the art gallery hosts the student exhibition that features students who have taken anything from animation, photography, graphic design, illustration, painting, ceramics, and other art courses. Students in the art department have a unique experience while being able to connect their artwork to the public. The art exhibition has been showcasing student art for more than a decade and has kept the tradition of diversity through the arts as its key goal.
Morgan Autrey, 22, art major, was also a part of the last art exhibition during the last Spring semester and had various pieces displayed in the museum talked to me about the process of getting her art showcased.
“One of my art professors that I had during fall semester really recommended me to try and apply for my work to be seen through the gallery during the spring,” Autrey said. “Since I was already part of the program it was a simple application as to what I would be showing and previous art classes taken at the school. After that, they got back to me pretty quickly to inform me that I was chosen to showcase what I got. I was allowed to show a few small pieces I was actually really proud of. All of these were just simple watercolor paintings.”
Being able to have students connect their art work to just more than the classroom has a strong impact on students when it comes to connections and an excellent vocational/educational opportunity.
“It was incredible to see how many people reached out to me just to connect and buy certain pieces of my paintings,” Autrey said. “It definitely helps in the sense that your art is now open for the public to see. More than just showing your family, friends, and whomever you’d usually show off your art to. Through the experience I was able to meet other artists which I have now worked with in different projects and even have had the opportunity to sell some work at a local art walk in Pomona.”
The art gallery on campus has been a positive light for students to publicize their work and grow as emerging students. You can contact the Art Gallery through their page on the Mt.SAC website at http://www.mtsac.edu/artgallery/.
