Central Campus Gallery

The San Jacinto College Central Campus Art Gallery contributes to our dynamic campus culture. We believe that art inspires reflection and growth within our students, faculty, and community. We host exhibitions, artists talks, performances, and more. Explore the Gallery and see what you can discover.

Current Exhibition

The Long Way Home: Roadside Images of a Lost Americana | Carter Hicks

Feb. 6 - March 27

Join us on Thursday, Feb. 6, for the opening of The Long Way Home: Roadside Images of a Lost Americana by Carter Hicks. A special reception will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m., featuring an Artist Talk with Carter Hicks at 6 p.m. This exhibition will remain open until Thursday, March 27, in the Central Campus Art Gallery: Building C-21, Room 163.

Carter Hicks captures the fading essence of Americana through his evocative images of abandoned roadside buildings, dilapidated signs, and the everyday working people of the Southeastern United States. The Long Way Home: Roadside Images of a Lost Americana serves as a tribute to the forgotten industries and small-town enterprises that once flourished before being sidelined by the expansion of the interstate highway system.

Hicks’ passion for photography began in high school and continued at Davidson College, where he graduated with a degree in physics. After a successful career at Compaq Computer Corporation, he retired and began annual road trips from Texas to his home state of North Carolina, opting for backroads over highways. His journeys took him through towns left in decline due to economic shifts and the expressway network initiated in the 1950s. Through his lens, Hicks documents these overlooked places, preserving their history and highlighting the impact of modernization on rural America.

Admission

Admission to the Central Campus Art Gallery is free.

Gallery Guidelines

Accessibility

Admission to the Central Campus Art Gallery is free.

For your safety and to help preserve the artwork, we have a few guidelines we ask that you follow:

Please stand at a safe distance from paintings, sculptures, and pedestals.
There is no eating or drinking allowed in the Gallery.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses, we strongly encourage the use of a face covering, regardless of vaccination status. We can provide a mask upon request.
Please maintain a distance of 6 feet between yourself and others.

Hand sanitizer is available in the Gallery, and if you ever need assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask one of our gallery assistants.

Photo & Video Permission

For professional photo or video permission, please email us before your visit.: CentralGallery@sjcd.edu

Accessible Parking can be found in Lot P21, on either side of the Building C-21 entrance. To use designated parking spaces, your vehicle must have a valid state disability placard or license plate.

Accessible Restrooms can be found in Building C-21, near the right side of the lobby.

Service Animals that comply with the College’s service animal policy are welcome in the Gallery. This includes dogs and miniature horses specifically trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability. This does not include animals used only for comfort or emotional support.

Students: Please apply for accommodations through Accessibility Services.
Visitors: Please contact an Accessibility Counselor at 281-998-6150 to arrange your upcoming visit to the Gallery with your service animal.

Belona Rodriguez is a Fine Arts major with a focus on charcoal and digital (procreate). This semester, she is studying oil painting and says "it is quickly rising the ranks." Her creative inspirations come from comic books and graphic novels and she hopes to one day be able to tell engaging stories through her art. After graduation, Belona plans to focus on illustrative work, with the goal of selling art prints and graphic novels—either as an independent artist or as part of a creative team. Belona wants her art career to be "diverse in experiences" and hopes that her work is "known and enjoyed in the same way I grew up enjoying others' work."

Central Campus Gallery Belona Rodriguez Portrait

Belona Rodriguez – Current Student

Central Campus Gallery Jamie Robertson Drawing

Another Girl Another Pearl

Burden of Creation

Last Door to the Left

The Terror Wheel

Mariana Canino graduated from San Jac in 2020 with her Associate of Arts. In 2022, she graduated with her Bachelors from the University of Houston – Clear Lake majoring in Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design and minoring in Art History and Communications. She enjoys painting in watercolor but also enjoys creating digital/vector art since it is something she uses everyday. She is now a graphic designer at Intuitive Machines where she converts ideas into proposal graphics that are then submitted to NASA, commercial partners, and other civic governments for competitive review.

Mariana Canino

Mariana Canino – San Jac Alumni

OMES III

Canino’s advice for students is to find opportunities and resources that could help you develop yourself and your resume.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

“I worked at San Jacinto College as a gallery attendant for two years before becoming a graphic designer at UHCL. That job then led to my first official graphic design internship with the department of Marketing and Communications at UHCL. I felt like it was a chain reaction. I couldn’t have done one without the other.”

Burns McDonnell

Canino says she pursued a degree in art because "I've always found immense satisfaction in tackling creative challenges and collaborating with various individuals, be it within a team, with clients, or through partnerships."

Intuitive Machines

Being around so many bright minds at Intuitive Machines helps get Canino’s creative juices flowing as she feels it is her mission to use her creative talents to showcase all this company has accomplished.

Morpheus / Alhat Flight Testing

Canino still finds time to do fun projects and meets with her friend weekly to work on their web-comic. “It’s an enjoyable process and it’s with someone I always look forward to seeing each week, which makes working on this even better.”

Interested in working at the Gallery or displaying your art? Find out how!

Employment

Administrative Assistant I - Central Art Gallery

This is a Federal/Texas work-study part-time position. It allows up to 19.5 hours per week at $10.40 per hour.
Apply Now

Description: The Central Art Gallery is looking for student gallery assistants to support operations. Individuals in this position will learn the functions and operations of a gallery and will enhance their ability to secure employment when moving on to a university or other employment. This position supports the Gallery Director with:

Installation and art handling
Documentation of art and administration duties
Promotion of the Gallery
Gallery repairs, painting, and maintenance
Guiding guests through exhibitions
Making sure the space and artwork is secure

Desired Availability:
We are looking for Monday through Thursday daytime to early evening hours. We will work to have a balanced schedule for open gallery hours between two assistants.

Qualifications:

Relatable and trustworthy
Light data input and word processing knowledge
Design and/or Photoshop experience a plus
Interest and/or experience in the visual arts
Desired Skills:
Microsoft Word
Data entry
Photoshop

Work Study Requirements:

Apply for financial aid with FAFSA
Select “Yes” on question 31 of FAFSA application: Are you interested in being considered for work-study?
- Please note that selecting “Yes” indicates your interest in work-study. It does not guarantee you will be offered a federal work-study position.
After completing the FAFSA application, set up an appointment with a financial aid advisor to discuss your eligibility. (Advisor: San Juanita Gonzalez)
If all requirements are met, please contact Carmen Champion to receive further instructions for applying. Email her at CentralGallery@sjcd.edu.

Gallery Submissions

We are a non-profit space that hosts six exhibitions per academic year. This generally includes two student shows, as well as group shows that feature artists from the area and around the world. We also host a faculty biennial exhibition.

Gallery Space
The Gallery hosts 1128 square feet of floor space. We have six movable walls and a number of pedestals in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Proposal Guidelines
Proposals are received year round and reviewed and accepted by the gallery curator. She encourages proposals from artists working in traditional, non-traditional, experimental, or collaborative formats. All proposals must include:

Work Examples: No more than 15 digital images in .JPG format with no more than 1,000 pixels on any one side. Provide a corresponding list of images including title, date, medium, and dimensions.
Resume(s) / CV: Provide resumes as a PDF document. For group proposals, please save all artists’ resumes to one document.
Proposal: Provide a one-page, 500-word proposal. Include the name(s) of the artist(s) involved, title, concept, description of exhibition, and any special needs or equipment required.

The selection process may take up to six weeks to complete. You will be notified of your proposal status via email.

Please send proposals to: CentralGallery@sjcd.edu

There are even more ways to get involved. Join the Art Club, which hosts projects and field trips and has artist resources and more. And don’t forget to check out what’s going on at the South Campus Art Gallery for even more exhibitions!

Join the Art Club South Campus Gallery

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