The Mesa College Library Resource Center (LRC) offers galleries and exhibits perfect for students interested in learning about Black history. In celebration of Black History Month in February, you are encouraged to visit.
The LRC features the permanent World Art Gallery and Research Center, which was built in 2024. They have about 2000 pieces of art in the collection, known as the World Art Collection. That is the largest collection of African art among community colleges in Southern California.
“It is a gallery but it is also a study space,” said Dr. Denise Rogers, professor of art history at Mesa, collections manager for the World Art Collection. “In order for students to have hands-on experience on campus, Mesa built the cases so that students could see the work, they could study there, and do research.”
On the first floor of LRC is another gallery, the World Art Glass Gallery. This space served as their first exhibition space in 2002. Before that, Dr. Rogers’ predecessor, Dr. Barbara Blackmun, used to invite students to her home to show her collection and held small exhibitions in classrooms.
Currently, Greater Than the Sum; Mixed Media and Meaning in Art from Africa, Asia and the Americas is on display in the exhibition space. It is the result of the research and curatorial work by Evie Maher, a Mesa College student as an intern in the World Art Collection.
Dr. Rogers and her team change the concept and exhibit in the space every semester, but regarding this exhibition, she stated, “It was the first time that we let a student curate an entire .” The attempt to leave the content on the display entirely to interns is a new challenge and certainly worth seeing.
Additionally, Our Stories, Our Legacy: Black History Through Artifacts, is a temporary display as a series of celebrations for Black History Month. The feature is focusing on historical artifacts and items reflecting Black life across generations. It is also being held on the first floor of the LRC through the end of February.
Students interested in learning more about Black history and culture during Black History Month can visit the galleries and exhibitions at the Mesa College LRC. The exhibits offer an opportunity to explore diverse artistic traditions and perspectives from all across Africa.
“The continent of Africa has a long rich history,” Dr Rogers said. “There are so many areas we touch on with the artwork and that can be meaningful to students and they can learn more about their cultural heritage.”
