SMC Emeritus Gallery to Host Online Opening Reception Thursday
Exhibition of works by Bernice Glenn, Shoko Sakanaka, Karen Sandler and Jodi Sena
By Sam Catanzaro
The Santa Monica College (SMC) Emeritus Art Gallery is presenting a mixed-media exhibition of Emeritus artists working in forms that “defy description”.
Though ranging in material, subject, and aesthetic, the works by four exhibiting artists — paintings by Bernice Glenn and Shoko Sakanaka, photography by Karen Sandler, and a wide range of mixed-media production by Jodi Sena — “consistently strike sublime moods and conjure elegant and elusive forms and spaces,” SMC said in a news release.
“Rather than organizing this exhibition through related materials, subject matter, or style, the exhibited artworks have been gathered together based on feel,” Benson said. “They all share a difficult-to-describe type of uncanny depth, almost like a spirituality. There is a simplicity of approach that allows for transcendent viewing experiences. It’s easy to get lost in the beauty.”
The exhibition will be presented online at smc.edu/emeritusgallery, where a virtual reception will be held online from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 21. The opening reception will be hosted by Dean of Noncredit and External Programs Dr. Scott Silverman and Emeritus Art Gallery Curator Jesse Benson. The event includes a live scroll through the exhibition and a discussion between Benson and the artists about selected works.
Following the reception, the work will remain online.
“Even though we can’t yet gather in person to appreciate the art produced by our wonderful Emeritus students, this exhibition gives us a chance to still enjoy their art, from the comfort of our own homes,” said Silverman. “An added benefit is that it will give Emeritus and our students a chance to share this art to a broader audience that has not previously had a chance to visit the Gallery.”
SMC’s Emeritus program — founded in 1975 as a noncredit program to serve the lifelong learning interests of older adults — offers more than 120 noncredit adult education classes and special programs that serve more than 3,000 students each year.
