San Diego Mesa College Fine Art Faculty & Staff Exhibition - 2025

 by Patricia Frischer

Closing Reception and Gallery Walk-Through: Wednesday, March 5, 4:30 - 6:30 pm

Alessandra Moctezuma

San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery is featuring the art made by its own 2025 art faculty and staff until March 6.  A faculty exhibition at a college or university has a number of roles.  It is good for the students to see the art of their professors. It is a way for potential students to start to judge if this is the right program for them in higher education. It gives the teaching artist a showcase for their work. It might even give them an incentive to be personally creative on an ongoing basis. Whether the works are chosen by the artist themselves, curated into the display or juried in, the exhibition does not usually have an imposed theme except, hopefully to show the best art possible. 

Obviously, the space is fill by an array of contemporary media, including painting, photography, installation, sculpture, ceramics, digital art, and more.  The selection below is only a small representation.  The work above is by the Gallery Director Alessandra Moctezuma, and does set a tone for some of the works that are reflecting present day politics. But the painted metal sculpture by Kraig Cavanaugh of flowers, puts a conceptual twist on that most common of subjects. The other piece on display by Cavanaugh is an installation from his own collection of the 6-sided Roto Reliefs of Marcel Duchamp. The originals are from 1933 and these were acquired after they were reproduced in 1987. The variety of photographed and the raised disc display (the reliefs have no central holes) are all Cavanaugh's choices. Brian Benfer distressed paper wall work has to be observed closely to see that the marks are made by a tennis ball, probably also causing the tears when it slammed into the surface. 

Jacqueline Ramirez produces a remembrance of things past as she display some of her early work which she declares has a raw power of the musicians, which rises above some technical flaws she might see now. Both of the Misty Hawkins' works continue that self reflective view with two portraits of herself with variation on color value and hue. Her intimate image of her dog in recovery calls out for our empathy. Juan Carlos Toth defines himself when he presents 20 averages Joes in a work titled There but for the grace...

The exquisite ceramic vessels of Nathan Betschart in their elegant simplicity show just how wide a range this faculty has. But take a closer look. The surface has a host of other worldly shapes with a whole other story to tell. 

Chris Lahti large steam-rollers prints are a hallmark of Mesa College Fine Art department. Several are on display including another by Moctezuma. This one that is on display in the front window of the gallery of a hand, a wrench and a pen makes one wonder if the pen is mightier.  On a much smaller scale are Lisa Hutton's ongoing series of individual hand drawings over pages from the Encyclopedia of Real Estate Advertising of 1977. Together the 96 images have an impact. Yes, it is a fun fact that the book was found in the free box at Mesa College Library. 

Kraig Cavanaugh

Kraig Cavanaugh

Brian Benfer

Jacqueline Ramirez

Misty Hawkins

Misty Hawkins

Juan Carlos Toth

Nathan Betschart

Nathan Betschart - detail

Chris Lahti

Lisa Hutton

Lisa Hutton, detail

SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE FINE ART FACULTY & STAFF EXHIBITION - 2025
San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery

Closing Reception and Gallery Walk-Through: Wednesday, March 5, 4:30 - 6:30 pm

Artists included: Trevor Amery, Jenny Armer, Brian Benfer, Nathan Betschart, Kraig Cavanaugh, Patricio Chavez, Christopher Ferreria, Misty Hawkins, Gosia Herc, Lisa Hutton, Wendell Kling, Chris Lahti, Georgia K. Laris, Alessandra Moctezuma, Amy Paul, Jacqueline Ramirez, Robyko, Chelsea Ruwe, Juan Carlos Toth, Sandra Wascher.
Feb 12 to March 6
FA103, 7250 Mesa College Drive, SD 92111
Gallery Hours: 12 – 5 pm, M-Th or by appointment. Closed Fridays, Weekends & Holidays.(closed Monday, February 17). Park in visitor spots or purchase a parking permit by the yellow machines
Alessandra Moctezuma  619.388.2829