SRJC Painters, a show featuring the work of students in beginning through advanced painting classes, opened Sept. 8 with a reception on Sept. 11 in Santa Rosa Junior College’s Agrella Gallery.
Curated by painting instructors Claudia Morales and Sarah Pringle, the show offers a wide range of works from lush and vibrant landscapes to powerful political pieces.
“I’m super proud that the students get to have a moment where a lot of people from the college — professors and other students — get to see their work,” Morales said. “I’m so excited that I get to see them talking about their work with their peers.”
Upon entering the gallery, viewers are greeted by the piece, “Eye of The Sky” by student artist and architecture major Diego Joshua Salala Nueva. The piece is also featured on the gallery’s promotional material.
The piece depicts a hand reaching down holding a church, a dove flying with an olive branch and a raven perched in a tree holding a watch. The painting is bisected by a stained-glass window on one side of the arm and a blue sky with what appears to be a town on the other.
“The symbols behind it just represent the light and dark that goes into the path of, you know, whatever direction you’re headed in life,” Nueva said.
“Perseverance” by student Roey Bustado, 22, depicts two women walking through a desert, one leaning on a crutch, the other holding a Palestinian flag and bag. Bustado said fear-mongering about Gazans is rampant, and he has encountered a lot of misinformation.
“As a Jewish person, it can take a big toll,” he said.
Moz Moore, an art and sociology student, was impressed with the students’ work. “Knowing the process and knowing the struggle and knowing how much work they poured into their art is really phenomenal,” Moore said.
The exhibition is free to attend and runs through Oct. 2. The Agrella Gallery is on the first floor of Doyle Library on SRJC’s Santa Rosa campus.
