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The Core Sample Exhibit of faculty art opened on Sept. 8 in the PCC Art Gallery.

 Over 30 exhibitors showed their work in this year’s edition of the annual event.

The gallery walls pulled one in towards bright color paintings, decorative sculptures and detailed sketches.  

The reception for the Core Sample exhibit started off by bringing in plenty of students, artists and visitors.

Interim Dean of the Visual Arts and Media Studies Division Joseph Futtner said: “I wasn’t aware of the quality of range of work with many of the instructors. This gives me a real strong conversation of their work and their role in the division,” he said. “The results are surprising and delightful.”

Artists roamed about speaking with the guests, as the gallery began to fill up.   

In the main gallery, a small piece titled “Tiara for a Walk on the L.A. River” sat in a clear box. 3-D Design Instructor Valerie Mitchell was inspired to create the piece as she looked at the L.A. River as it runs near her art studio.  It is just one of several pieces she has created based on the river.

“It is playfully conceptual,” she said. “You can take a walk in nature and put something from it on one of the three vessels, like a flower or a twig, so that it does not get ruined.”

Mitchell’s face lit up more as she continued: “It is wearing something and creating a sculpture; then when you get home you have a theatrical presentation.”

Viewing the show Rumaa Michandane, who prints catalogs for artists and galleries, is preparing for her upcoming move to Los Angeles and decided to visit the gallery to see her friend, 2-D Design Instructor and artist Nancy Monk’s work.  

“The quality of work here is good,” Michandane said. “In comparison to New York Gallery openings, it is not as aggressive, which is a good thing. It is more of a social event than in New York, rather than an opportunity to look at the work. I am enjoying meeting the artists.”

On the floor of the main gallery to the left of the entryway is an art work titled “Hieronymous Vortex” by Instructor Nick Taggart.  

“I was doing pieces based on nature, hurricanes and tornados. I took oil and put it over wax, instead of in it,” Taggart said.

 “I added spirals. Fantastical creatures are being spun around, they are caught up in, reveling in it,” he added.

 Taggart spoke of little birds and demons that cleverly were mixed in the wax and oil sculpture, which took him three days to create.

 Illustration Instructor Rick Osaka said of his work in the front gallery, titled “Traveler,”  

“[It] is about different moments. It is like a handmade Facebook post,” Osaka laughed at his comment.

“My art is very personal and comes from trips or personal experiences,” he said. “It has to have meaningful content.”

Core Sample continues in the Art Gallery until Sept. 24. PCC’s Art Gallery is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Monday through Thursday, and noon to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.  Admission is free.

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