San Diego Mesa College Art History

03/18/2026

Happy Fertility Day! Today, March 18th, is Goddess of Fertility Day and to celebrate the Mesa College World Art Collection would like to showcase the Fertility doll from the Ambo/Ovambo people we have as a part of our collection.

The Ambo/Ovambo people reside in the country of Namibia and Southern Angola on the southwest coast of Africa. Ambo/Ovambo are a patriarchal society who place a lot of family and community power upon the men. In pre-colonial times, their communities were run through a royal lineage where the king was the supreme leader and council of elders leading each of the sub-tribes. Chieftaincy was, however, assumed through a matrilineal kinship system. Mothers play a key role in maintaining the family lineage through the fertility doll as part of a system of ancestral and spiritual connection. Women pass dolls down from mother to daughter and extended family for generations. When a girl marries and her mother gives her the family doll, her new husband renames it; later the first child will be given the same name. To hasten the conception and birth of this child, the wife wears the smaller doll pressed against her stomach. San Diego Mesa College Art History San Diego Mesa College

02/02/2026

San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery in collaboration with Avenue 50 Studio presents

Politics of Portrayal:
Three Generations of Chicana
Portraiture in Los Angeles
In Conversation with San Diego Artists

Exhibit on view February 9 - March 5, 2026

Reception: Wednesday, February 11, 4 - 7 PM
Art Gallery - FA 103

FREE and OPEN to the public.
Free Parking during events in Lot # 1, STAFF spots.

Participating artists (images L to R): Ale Ruiz Tostado, Katie Ruiz, Marianela de la Hoz; Yreina D. Cervantez, Barbara Carrasco, Emilia Cruz, Karla Diaz, Maritza Torres.

This powerful intergenerational exhibition of Chicana portraiture brings together artists from Los Angeles and San Diego to explore identity, memory, activism, and healing through the human figure. Blending contemporary realities with ancestral memory, these figurative works honor matriarchal lineages, personal narratives, and an enduring commitment to social justice.

Originally curated Sybil Venegas for Avenue 50 Studio in Los Angeles, this exhibition includes artists from different generations—Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. The expanded presentation in San Diego includes local artists Marianela de la Hoz, Katie Ruiz, and Ale Ruiz Tostado, presenting their work alongside their Angeleno counterparts. Intrinsically connected to Mexico and the border, cultural influences are evident in these artists’ paintings, which align with the legacy of Chicano art while also paying tribute to long-standing Latin American traditions of magical realism and folk art.

We invite you to view this exhibition and join us for a reception on Wednesday, February 11, 4 – 7 pm. Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments. There will be a panel discussion with some of the featured Los Angeles and San Diego artists on Saturday, February 28 at 4:30 pm.

A free catalog is available.

01/08/2026

10/11/2025

Great News! SDSU is reopening it's Masters in Art History program and accepting Fall 2026 applications. Information Session Schedule is listed below

Interested applicants should contact Prof. Sneed: [email protected].

08/22/2025

Mark your calendar, our reception for "Clothes Story" is Saturday, September 6, 4:00 - 7:00 pm, FA 103

Our upcoming exhibition highlights
African American women's stories and clothing from 1890-1963, curated by Kenneth Green.

With gratitude to The Hervey Family Fund at the San Diego Foundation whose generosity helps illuminate their stories.

Exhibition Dates: August 25 -October 16, 2025

Curator Talk: Wednesday, September 10, 12:45-2:00pm, FA 103
Closing Reception: Wednesday, October 15, 4:00-7:00 pm, FA 103

Free parking event nights ONLY in Lot 1, STAFF Parking.

Gallery Hours: M, T, W, TH, 12 pm - 5 pm, or by appointment. Closed weekends, Fridays & Labor Day.

Design: Michael Jenkins

11/07/2024

Ready to explore your creativity? Enroll today for Spring 2025! Take Painting Class and dive into the world of colors, textures, and techniques! For More info please visit: https://buff.ly/3NVcBmE

10/21/2024

Join Berry Good Food on Saturday, November 16th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at UCSD Park & Market Guggenheim Theater in downtown San Diego. This event is part of World Design Capital programming and Berry Good Food's 14th free and open-to-the-public Future Thought Leaders panel. This thought-provok...

08/19/2024

https://givebutter.com/aF5Gya

You are cordially invited to the Dr. Blackmun Recognition Dinner & Ceremony, on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.

TICKETS: https://givebutter.com/aF5Gya

As part of San Diego Mesa College's celebration of 60 years of equity and excellence, we ask you to join us as we honor Dr. Barbara Blackmun. In 1976, Dr. Blackmun started a small collection of African art at San Diego Mesa College. Through her work, and with others, the collection has since grown to include over 1,800 pieces from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific.

We are excited to announce that this year we finally succeeded in fulfilling Dr. Blackmun's dream of securing a permanent location on campus. The Collection is not only on display, but now accessible to art history, art, humanities and Black and ethnic studies students in the newly designed space, the World Art Gallery & Research Center. And, with your help, we can continue Dr. Blackmun's work to empower students with knowledge and opportunities.

Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities would be very much appreciated. If you would like to donate to support the event click here.

So remember to Save the Date, and plan to join us!

September 11, 2024 3:30-7:00 pm
San Diego Mesa College
7250 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111

This is a ticketed event. For question, please reach out to Dr. Denise Rogers at [email protected].
San Diego Mesa College

07/21/2024

FALL 2024 COURSES:

FRENCH 101:
-T/TH, 5:30-6:55pm (Remote: via Zoom)
-T/TH, 9:35am-12:00pm (fully on campus, Room: LRC-213)
-M/W, 12:10pm-1:35pm (Remote: via Zoom)

FRENCH 102:
-T/TH, 12:10-2:35pm (fully on campus, Room: LRC-213)

FRENCH 201:
-M/W, 5:30-6:55pm (Remote: via Zoom)
*Zero-Cost textbook

FRENCH 210 & 211:
-M/W, 5:30-6:55pm (Remote: via Zoom)
*Zero-Cost textbook

https://www.sdccd.edu/students/class-search/search.html

07/17/2024

You're Invited. Dr. Barbara Blackmun Recognition Ceremony and fundraiser for the World Art Collection. September 11th 3:30 (for dinner); 5:30 (for event). Featuring an African Drum and Dance performance, silent auction, opportunity drawing and more! Hope to see you there!

https://givebutter.com/aF5Gya

05/09/2024

Come celebrate the end of the Spring Semester with us with our Spring 2024 Student Art Exhibition on Thursday, May 9, 4-7pm.
Card design by Spring 2024 Museum
Studies student Ari Doerr.