Past Events
2020
Due to COVID-19, many programs + events were canceled or postponed from March through August 2020.
June
Postponed: Faculty Art Opening Reception
Friday, June 12 | TBA
Join the Museum of Art and the Department of Art + Art History for the opening celebration of a joint exhibition highlighting the work and process of two SMC Art Department professors Laura Miller + Andrew Mount.
May
Canceled: Student Art Exhibition Opening
Thursday, May 14 | 5-7 p.m.
Join MoA and the Department of Art and Art History in celebrating the opening of the student art exhibition, Nexus.
Beverages and refreshments will be served.
Canceled: Study Salon | Finals 2020
Gaze at some artwork and prepare for finals! Free snacks and beverages will be provided.
Sunday, May 17 | 4-10 pm
Monday, May 18 | 4-10 pm
Tuesday, May 19 | 4-10 pm
Study Salon is designed to support the scholarly development of SMC students.
Pending: Third Thursday | Revitalize: Yoga in the Galleries
Thursday, May 21 | 6:30 p.m.
Every third Thursday of the month, MoA remains open late inviting visitors to experience unconventional art engagement and activities in the galleries. With graduation days away, this third Thursday will focus on rejuvenation and self-care. All are welcome!
Stretch, clear your mind, and relax. Join the Museum of Art for a free evening yoga session from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Please bring your own matt. Leading instructors: Tara Rochlin + Heather Thorton.
April
The Museum of Art will be closed for Easter Holiday, Wednesday, April 8 through Sunday, April 12, 2020.
Postponed: Third Thursday | The Political Voice
Thursday, April 16 | 6 to 9 p.m.
On the third Thursday of the month, MoA remains open late, inviting visitors to experience unconventional art engagement and activities in the galleries. All are welcome!
This Third Thursday will focus on visual communication through the story of the political campaign poster. This program is presented in alignment with the current exhibition, Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster 1844-2012.
March
Canceled: Study Salon | Midterms
Gaze at some artwork and prepare for midterms! Free snacks and beverages will be provided.
Sunday, March 15 | 4 to 10 p.m.
Monday, March 16 | 4 to 10 p.m.
Study Salon is designed to support the scholarly development of SMC students.
Postponed: Third Thursday | Celebrating Women in the Arts
Thursday, March 19 | 5-8 p.m.
On the third Thursday of the month, MoA remains open late inviting visitors to experience unconventional art engagement and activities in the galleries. All are welcome!
In alignment with Women's History Month and Feminizing Permanence, this Third Thursday celebrates Women in the Arts! Join the Museum and local artists for beverages + refreshments as they share their experiences and journeys towards parity. At 6 p.m. partake in a live recording and conversation with special guests and podcast hosts, The Art History Babes.
February
Opening Exhibitions Reception
Thursday, February 20 | members 4:30-5:30 p.m. / public: 5:30-7 p.m.
Join us in celebrating the opening of our Spring Exhibitions: Feminizing Permanence and Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster 1844–2012
January
Members: Closer Looking/Art + Wine
Thursday, January 16 | 4 to 6 p.m.
While the Museum is closed for installation, join fellow members for a behind-the-scenes look and guided exploration into artwork from SMCMoA’s permanent collection. On view for one night only, the artwork featured in this limited event aligns in spirit with our upcoming exhibition Feminizing Permanence. At 4 p.m., sip and enjoy wine from Backroads Vines paired with gourmet bites, followed by a 5 p.m. guided conversation exploring themes, techniques, and the voices behind the selected artwork. Please take advantage of this exclusive experience of our permanent collection, as many of the works chosen for this event have yet to be publicly viewed. Members are welcome to bring two guests in addition to names shared under the membership.
For additional questions and RSVP, contact Britt Royer, 925.631.4493 or blr7@stmarys-ca.edu.
Thank you to Backroads Vines for your generous support.
2019
December
Study Salon | Finals
Gaze at some artwork and prepare for finals! Free snacks and beverages will be provided.
Sunday, December 8 | 4 to 10 p.m.
Monday, December 9 | 4 to 10 p.m.
Tuesday, December 10 | 4 to 10 p.m.
November
Sausalito Studio Visit & Heath Ceramic Factory Tour
Saturday, November 2 | 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Join the Museum of Art for a Sausalito excursion! Enjoy brunch and beverages with curator April Bojorquez at the artist Diane Rosenblum's studio. Learn about Rosenblum's approach to photography and her creative process. Experience the artisan behind-the-scenes tour of the legendary Heath Ceramics factory. Transportation is offered, but space is limited. RSVP to reserve your place today! Members are free, and nonmember guests are $25.
Meditation in the Galleries
Wednesday, November 6 | 11 a.m.
Clear your mind, relax, and reflect.
Brother Camillus will lead guided meditation in the galleries. No registration necessary, but space limited.
This is Hip-Hop
Friday, November 8 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
In conjunction with SMC Theater's fall production, This is Modern Art, MoA will feature the "Five Elements of Hip Hop." Community artists and students will perform break-dancing, DJing, rapping and graffiti tagging. A panel discussion featuring playwright Kevin Coval will begin at 6:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m. Rapping by Michael Singletary ('21) and John Huez; DJ Lex in the museum courtyard
6:00 p.m. Playwright Kevin Coval engages in conversation with Davey D, a Bay Area DJ and hip-hop journalist/scholar. Davey D is featured in Netflix's "Hip-Hop Evolution, Episode: Out the Trunk East Bay." A Q &A will follow.
6:45 p.m. Hip-hop dancing with Traci Bartlow and guests; DJ Lex and graffiti tagging demo with DJ Agana in the courtyard
Words: R&D Collaborative
Thursday, November 21 | 5 to 7 p.m.
Join the Museum of Art for our Third Thursday of November. The contemporary artists, Diane Rosenblum and Joe Doyle (R&D) will discuss their artistic practices and collaborative approaches to digital painting in the exhibition, New Formalism in Painting and Photography. Times are subject to change.
October
Machines & Mysticism: Artist Dialogue
Thursday, October 10 | 6 to 8 p.m. at the Soda Center
Machine artist Kal Spelletich engages with SMC professor Brother Charles Hilken in a dynamic discussion examining art, spirituality, and technology. Discussion moderated by Natalia Mount.
Third Thurs | Draw on Walls: Conceptual Art Night
Late Night in the Museum, October 17 | 4 to 9 p.m.
Collaboratively create, draw, and install monumental scale lines on the wall! Inspired by conceptual artist Sol LeWitt's wall drawings, this activity will be ongoing until 9 p.m. Themed snacks and beverages will be provided.
Study Salon | Midterms
Gaze at some artwork and prepare for midterms! Free snacks and beverages will be provided.
Sunday, October 20 | 4 to 10 p.m.
Monday, October 21 | 4 to 10 p.m.
Haunted Galleries
Wednesday, October 30 & Thursday, October 31
For Halloween, the Museum of Art is transforming our mysterious exhibitions into an all-around haunting experience! Visit with your friends and family between regular business hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a spooky time!
Dark Harvest | Norman Partridge
Wednesday, Oct 31 | 7 p.m.
Join the Museum of Art as author Norman Partridge reads from his award-winning book, Dark Harvest. Dark Harvest has been celebrated by Publishers Weekly as contemporary writing at its finest! Experience this spooktacular book for yourself!
Halloween Storytime in the Museum
Thursday, October 31 | 11 a.m.
Join the Museum of Art with your little ones (1-5 yrs) for a spooky storytime and reading hour.
September
Exhibition Reception
Thursday, September 5 | 6 to 8 p.m.
Join the Museum of Art in celebrating our Summer & Fall Exhibitions: Kal Spelletich: Significance Machines and Purposeful Robots and New Formalism in Painting and Photography. Meet the collaborative team of R&D (Rosenblum and Doyle) at the reception. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided.
Members | 5 to 6 p.m.
Yoga at the Museum
Saturday, September 14 | 9 to 10:15 a.m.
Stretch, clear your mind, and relax! Join the Museum of Art for a free morning yoga session. The galleries will be open following the session with a special hour tour at 10:30 a.m. and coffee. Please bring your own mat.
Leading instructors: Tara Rochlin & Heather Thorton
Third Thurs | Late Night at the Museum
Afro-Latinx/Latinx/Indigenous Heritage Month Kick-Off Party
Thursday, September 19 | 4 to 9 p.m.
Join Saint Mary’s College in celebrating Afro-Latinx/Latinx/Indigenous Heritage month with art-making, food, and music! The evening will feature the Sanctuary Print Cart, a mobile print shop created by artists Sergio De La Torre and Chris Treggiari. The Sanctuary Print Cart raises awareness about the impact of immigration policies on our communities and support immigrants’ rights through community silkscreening. This Third Thursday will also include El Molino’s Taco Bar from 5 to 7 p.m. and showcase the DJ collective, Chulita Vinyl Club.
Free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Co-sponsored by Mission and Ministry Center and CCIE (College Committee on Inclusive Excellence)
Meditation in the Galleries
Wednesday, September 25 | 1 p.m.
Clear your mind, relax, and reflect.
Brother Camillus will lead guided meditation in the galleries. No registration necessary, but space limited.
August
Meditation in the Galleries
Wednesday, August 21 | 11 a.m.
Clear your mind, relax, and reflect.
Brother Camillus will lead guided meditation in the galleries. No registration necessary, but space limited.
May
How to Read a Play
Thursday, May 2, 3:15 to 4:30 p.m.
Plays are blueprints for live performance; but minimal stage directions and narrative description, coupled with distant historical settings, can frustrate readers hoping to imagine "the stage beyond the page." Join us for an interactive workshop to discover the craft and artistry of dramatic works.
Antigone
With Amissa Miller, Zahra Ahmed, & Rashaan Menese
Things Known: Public Poetry Workshop
Saturday, May 4, 10:00 to 12:00 p.m.
Join Bay Area poetry group, Fresh Ink, and write from a series of prompts in response to the exhibition Foad Satterfield: THINGS KNOWN
Third Thurs | Yoga in the Galleries
Thursday, May 16, 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. | 7:00 to 8:15 p.m.
After hours, join us for a relaxing, renewing and refreshing yoga session in our galleries amongst the large, abstract paintings of Foad Satterfield: THINGS KNOWN. Two yoga sessions offered. All are welcome!
Afternoon Dove | 4:30 p.m.
Night Owl | 7:00 p.m.
Registration for sessions required | Sessions cap at 20.
Art Chat: A Conversation Between Artist and Curator
Saturday, May 18, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Join guest curator, Megan Wilkinson, and artist, Foad Satterfield, for a conversation exploring Satterfield's new body of large scale paintings featured in the exhibition THINGS KNOWN.
Things Known: Poets Respond | Public Poetry Reading
Saturday, May 18, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Reading will feature Bay Area poetry group, Fresh Ink, followed by an open mic of poems written in response to the Foad Satterfield: THINGS KNOWN exhibition.
Study Salon | Finals 2019
Sun | May 19 | 4-10 p.m.
Mon | May 20 | 4-10 p.m.
Tues | May 21 | 4-10 p.m.
Join the Museum of Art for quiet study. Snacks and beverages will be provided.
Opening Reception | Emerge: Student Art Exhibition
Thurs | May 23 | 4-6 p.m.
Join us for the opening of our student group exhibition in printmaking, painting, sculpture, digital art, and photography on view May 20 through June 9, 2019. Co-sponsored by the Department of Art and Art History.
April
The museum will be closed the week of Easter, Monday, April 15 through Tuesday, April 23, 2019. We will resume regular hours on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Third Thurs | Late Night will not occur.
Open Studio: Revealing Interdisciplinary Art Process
Wednesday, April 3, 1 to 2 p.m.
Join SMC MoA Curator April Bojorquez and Professor Laura Miller for a conversation exploring the distinct curatorial approach for the exhibition Open Studio: Interdisciplinary Art Practice in Progress.
Poetry and Environmental Crisis
Saturday, April 6, 1 to 3 p.m.
Poets from the prize-winning online literary magazine of the environmental crisis, Canary, read their poems. For more information about Canary literary journal visit: canrlitmag.org
Arndt on Arendt
Thursday, April 10, 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.
In "On Violence, "political philosopher Hannah Arendt probes the nature of power and its relation to violence. Arendt scholar David Arndt will briefly introduce her life work; then a small-group discussion will invite students to explore their own ideas on violence, in dialogue with Arendt's.
Presented in collaboration with Seminar 104.
Meditation in the Galleries
Tuesday, April 30, 11:00 a.m.
Join the Museum of Art as we explore mindful ways of engaging with art. Brother Camillus will guide meditation and exploration into Foad Satterfield's abstract landscapes.
No registration necessary, but space is limited. Chairs will be provided.
2018
February
Darker Shades of Red Opening
Wednesday, February 7 at 10 a.m., Museum of Art
Member's Reception
Thursday, February 8, 3 p.m. Museum of Art
Public Reception
Thursday, February 8, 4-6 p.m. Museum of Art
Art Chat #1
Wednesday, February 28, 1 p.m. Museum of Art
The Museum of Art welcomes Professor Susan Weissman of the Political Science Department at Saint Mary's College. Professor Weissman's Art Chat is entitled "The First Socialist Revolution."
Link to video: https://youtu.be/FQCUV6xN8Kg
March
Art Chat #2
Wednesday, March 21, 1 p.m. Museum of Art
The Museum of Art welcomes Professor Scott Schonfeldt-Aultman of the Communication Department at Saint Mary's College and Alex U. Inn founding member of Momma's Boyz. Professor Schonfeldt-Aultman's and Mr. Inn's Art Chat is entitled "Pursuing Social Justice through Drag."
Link to video: https://youtu.be/4Jc2tpTeE5E
May
Art Chat #3
Wednesday, May 2, 1 p.m. Museum of Art
The Museum of Art Staff welcomes Professor Dan Leopard of the Communications Department at Saint Mary's College. Professor Leopard's Art Chat is entitled "Comrade Tintin: Herge and Stalin in the Land of the Soviets."
Link to video: https://youtu.be/YMr0V6uQmy0
Art Department Student Exhibition Opening
Thursday, May 24, 4 p.m., Museum of Art
The Museum of Art hosts the Saint Mary's College Art Department and recent work from students. The Student Exhibition will be open through Sunday, May 27.
June
Summer Exhibition Opening
Saturday, June 9, 1-4 p.m. Museum of Art Patio
Join us in welcoming the new summer exhibitions. The Museum of Art will host California Watercolor Association demonstrations and guest speakers. Beverages and appetizers will be provided.
On display:
California Watercolor Association
The Color of Summer
Richard Gayton
BART: Strangers on a Train
Diana Hobson and Susan Alexjander
Into Being - The River
September
Fall 2018 Exhibition Opening
September 20, 2018 4 to 7 p.m.
Performances by the Saint Mary’s College Dance and Music Departments to celebrate the opening of Fall exhibitions. Reception begins at 4:00 pm and performances begin at 4:45. Space is limited, first come first serve.
Performance Slate:
4:45 Professor Rogelio Lopez Garcia (solo)
5:00 Ballet Folklorico (group)
5:15 Davalos Company (group)
5:30 Saint Mary’s College Choir (group)
September 22, 2018 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Radical Acts of Love is a site-adaptive dance-theatre work conceived and directed by CatherineMarie Davalos. It is a call to action amid hatred and violence. The members of the Davalos Dance Company are interested in creating safe dancing spaces in which interactions for rehearsal and performance become a vehicle for dialogue and change. The dance is set to traditional Mexican music, poetry, spoken word, and original compositions with the common thematic material of love. Since the Davalos Dance Company (DDC) is an intersectional group of artists representing the Latina/o, Jewish, Black, and queer communities, their work questions heteronormativity and asks us to examine privilege, power dynamics, and social constructs. We seek to partner with others as a catalyst for constructive social change.
Davalos Dance Company: CatherineMarie Davalos (Artistic Director), Rogelio Lopez, Edgar Mendez, Andrew Merrell (Assistant Director), Catalina O’Connor, Micah Sallid, Steve Siegelman, Shaunna Vella, Hailey Yaffee. Radical Acts of Love was made in collaboration with the dancers. For information about the Davalos Dance Company and the dancers’ biographies please visit davalosdance.
Musicians: Emilio Davalos Gaylord, percussion and vocals; Alex Franklin (Composer) bass, piano, and vocals; David Franklin (Composer) piano; Navarre Herrera (Music Director) guitar; Xandre Herrera, vocals; Rebecca Rose Rodriguez, percussion and vocals; Steve Siegelman, vocals
Mirrors In Every Place featuring Tongo Eisen-Martin
September 26, 2018 2:30 to 3:30 PM
This craft talk presupposed that among other potentials, poetry exists within a multidimensional overlap of two spheres of insight; one, that of the music or math of language, and two, the social realities that the poet navigate and digest. Students explored the strategies, mechanics, and resulting art of prolific poets from various epochs of craft and social contradiction. We studied Audre Lorde, Roque Dalton, Juan Felipe Herrera, Langston Hughes, Layli Long Soldier, QR Hand, Aja Monet, Ai, and more. And for every poet, we read a corresponding political economy on the times and places that produced that poet. By the end of the talk, students were exposed to a useful set of strategies they can use in their own writing and also a lens of social analysis to synthesize with their writing.
October
How to Read a Poem
October 10, 2018 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Using a short selection from Matthew Zapruder’s book Why Poetry, two distinguished Saint Mary’s poets shared strategies for unpacking poems in Seminar. Participants practiced these strategies by exploring selected poems in conversation with their peers. With Brenda Hillman & Matthew Zapruder
Writing the World: Beyond Myth and Violence
October 24, 2018 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Leanne O'Sullivan and fellow Irish writers shared one poem each, then reflected on what myths reveal about power and violence. The group also responded to Hannah Arendt's "On Violence," relating the essay to their own work and to their reading of the contemporary moment. Rosemary Graham moderated. Co-sponsors: January Term, College Committee on Inclusive Excellence, Kalmanovitz School of Education, English, MFA in Creative Writing, Ó Bhéal (Cork, Ireland), Cork Arts Council, and the Los Gatos Irish Writers Festival
Art Chat: Frances Sweeney "Evolving Spirituality: Artistic Expression and the Creation of Las Tradiciones Guadalupeñas"
October 25, 2018 11:30 to 1:00 p.m.
Dia de los Muertos Altar Decoration
October 30, 2018 3 to 5 p.m.
November
Three Sisters Pre-show Party
November 1, 2018 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. (showtime is 8:00 p.m.)
The Museum of Art celebrated All Souls Day and the opening of the Saint Mary’s College Theater Department’s Three Sisters.
EXPLORANDO FRONTERAS: ANZALDUA + “GRAPHICANOS”
November 14, 2018 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. and 7:00 to 7:45 p.m.
In conjunction with the Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Graphicanos” three Bay Area Latinx poets shared a spoken-word reading of selections from Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/ La Frontera. In this seminal collection of poems and essays, Anzaldua draws on her life experiences as a Chicana and lesbian activist to challenge the notion of a “border” as a simple divide. Audiences flowed through the galleries, enjoying Anzaldua’s potent words brought to life against a backdrop of art. With guest performers Leticia Hernández-Linares, MK Chavez, & Naomi Quiñones. Related Seminar texts: Anzaldúa’s Borderlands (Sem 104).
Graphicanos Docent Tour (Student only)
November 13, 2018 | 5 to 5:45 p.m.
November 14 & 16 2018 | 1:15 to 2:00 p.m.
Chicanx Studies scholar Jessie Turner and John Schneider led illuminating tours of “Graphicanos.” The exhibition featured 45 silkscreen prints marking the achievements of the Chicano Art Movement.
December
Art Chat: CatherineMarie Davalos "Moving, Feeling & Generating: a site for Chicano Resistance"
December 13, 2018 6 to 8 p.m. (showtime is 7 p.m.)
Professor CatherineMarie Davalos and members of the Davalos Dance Company shared the process of creating modern dance choreography for their latest work "Radical Acts of Love." Dancers Edgar Mendez and Hailey Yaffee (both SMC alumni) performed "Nowhere to Hide" as Davalos discusses the various inspirations and many iterations the piece developed from California to Panicale, Italy. Beverages available at 6:00 p.m., performance at 7:00 p.m.
2017
February
Scholarship Saturday
Saturday, February 25, 9 a.m. Museum of Art
March
Member's Only Preview
Wednesday, March 1 at 4 p.m. Museum of Art.
Artist Talk with Peter Freund
Thursday, March 2 at 4 p.m. Museum of Art
Member's trip to the Legion of Honor: Monet the Early Years
Thursday, March 30
April
ART CHAT | Digital Tomb
Wednesday, April 26 at 3 p.m.
Peter Freund’s digital images explore the visual image as an absence, negation or erasure of the visible. Freund discusses the principle of a “digital tomb” in his series of conceptual prints.
May
ART CHAT | Desire
Wednesday, May 3 at 3 p.m.
Discussing the overlapping relationship between trauma and desire, Peter Freund explores a parallel between artistic and psychoanalytic practices.
ART CHAT | Alternative Facts
Wednesday, May 10 at 1 p.m.
“Alternative facts” -a symptom of neoliberal freedom? In this art chat, Peter Freund explores the paradoxical connection between facts and fantasy in political thinking, highlighting three works of video art in his current exhibition.
Saint Mary's College Dance Company Spring Performance and Pre-Performance Reception at the Museum of Art
Friday, May 12, 7-7:45 p.m.
Saint Mary's College Dance Company is honored to present Rise, an evening of new works in celebration of the dance program's 20th Anniversary.
Pre-Performance reception in collaboration with the Performing Arts Department. Come enjoy free appetizers and drinks and mingle with the choreographers and alumni.
Museum Member's Tour of the Private Collection of Julie Armistead and Fred McNear
Tuesday, May 16
Guest Speaker Luncheon| Hossein Khosrowjah, Reconciliations and Desires
Thursday, May 25 at 12 p.m.
Hossein Khosrowjah explores the complexity and importance of "cultural translation" in the contemporary political climate. His talk uses Peter Freund's IRAN|USA exhibition as a springboard for investigating the role of translation and mistranslation in defining the cultural Other.
Hossein Khosrowjah is a senior adjunct professor of visual studies at the California College of the Arts. His essays and reviews on a broad range of topics, from film to exilic autobiography to the history of American higher education, have been published in film, cultural, and area studies journals. His book, The Singular Cinema of Abbas Kiarostami, is forthcoming from I.B. Tuaris Press.
June
Saint Mary's College MFA in Dance Festival
Saturday and Sunday, June 17 and 18 at the Museum of Art
Museum Member's Tour of the Permanent Collection Storage and Reception at Private Bay Area Art Collector's Home
Wednesday, June 28
July
Museum Member's Tour of the American Art Collection at the de Young Museum followed by a tour of the Japanese Tea Garden.
Thursday, July 13
August
Museum Member's Tour: The Asian Art Museum: Flower Power
September
SMC Campus Tour of the Museum of Art's Permanent Collection Storage Facility
SMC Student Welcome Back Party