History of the Art Gallery

The Art Gallery at Mesa Community College is the culmination of a longstanding vision of the Arts faculty for a permanent facility to showcase student, faculty and guest artist works and function as a student learning lab for art management, curating and gallery design. Thoughtful and intensive planning with direction from faculty and staff made certain that this 21-Century facility includes the infrastructure and technology that best highlight a wide range of works in art, ceramics, photography and electronic media. Traditional as well as multimedia creations can be shared to their full potentials including space on the west side of the gallery that has a shade overhang area to accommodate outdoor artwork.

The MCC Art Gallery features moveable walls on a tracking system to create desired layouts depending on the curatorial needs of an exhibition or the technical requirements of the art and artist. Highly qualified and engaged instructors motivate students to reach their greatest creative potential and sharpen their artistic skills. Students in the MCC Art Department represent a diverse population with varying educational goals, but all sharing one common attribute – a passion for art and design.

Funding was received for the Art Gallery as part of the 2004 MCCCD Bond. DWL Architects + Planners, Inc., designed the Art Gallery as well as MCC’s Paul A. Elsner Library and the Life Science Building. The Grand Opening, held on February 24, 2016, featured pieces from the college’s prestigious acquisition collection by acclaimed artists such as Rachel Bess, Alexander Calder, Enrique Chagoya, Mark Klett and William Wegman.