The first art exhibit of the fall 2019 semester will open Sept. 12 and will comprise contributions by various faculty and staff members.

The exhibit will be open to viewers Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and will run from Sept. 12 to Oct. 13.

The exhibit will have no specific content or medium; rather, it will be a collection of any artwork that faculty and staff members have decided to contribute. The number of pieces shown is expected to range from 20 to 30, with staff members contributing about two to three pieces each. 

The work submitted thus far ranges from 3D, abstract work, to 2D, representational work.

Art and Humanities Chair Ken Alexander, for example, will be contributing a mix of old and new landscape works.

 “My work reflects places I have seen and that have personal meaning to me,” said Alexander, “A mountain along the West Highland Way in Scotland; a waterfall which I kissed my now-ex-wife for the final time; and the vista of Contra Loma Regional Park at the end of Frederickson Lane; the place in which I ride my mountain bike and train for my long-distance walks.”

The staff exhibit, which occurs once a year, is being led by Carol Ladewig, a new addition to LMC. Ladewig served as the curator and co-founder of the Oakland Art Gallery from 2001 to 2007 and put on many graduate shows for the California College of the Arts.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting and working with people in the art department, there are a lot of great people here,” said Ladewig.

Ladewig, who has only been with LMC for two weeks, will serve as the gallery curator for at least the next year, under contract.

“Art at its fundamental basis is about critical thinking and problem solving,” said Ladewig. “I think if you can get someone’s curiosity going and stimulate their imagination, the critical appreciation doesn’t mean good or bad, it means how it’s put together and what makes it work, and these are questions that apply to almost anything.”

Gallery assistant Sabrina Sorvari explained students should visit the art gallery “to see the range their teachers have and get to know the strengths of their professors.”

A professor himself, Alexander echoed Sorvari’s sentiments as to why students should check out the exhibit.

“It’s good for art students to see their professors’ skills in action, but also to appreciate that one does not have to be an art professor to make art,” said Alexander.

The art gallery is located on the first floor of the library, near the coffee and snack stand.