Starting the first week of November, students will be introduced to the “Living Gallery” expo, an immersive and community-driven art exhibit that is dedicated to sharing the work and creativity of Las Positas students. The planned art exhibition will provide a chance for students to express themselves, regardless of their area of study, and encourage student collaboration. Students of all pathways and interests will be able to submit their ideas for an open-call due on November 8th.
The exhibit – arranged by the Art on Campus Taskforce, a subdivision of the Las Positas Arts and Humanities Department – will consist of kinetic and immersive art made from sustainable materials. Students are encouraged to work either individually, with friends or as clubs to create their pieces.
Featured artwork will have to adhere to a few additional guidelines. According to the Art on Campus Taskforce, pieces for the gallery must: incorporate movement within the piece; may include audio or video components; must primarily consist of recycled materials; and should center on themes of nature, conservation, wildlife and landscapes.
“We’ve been wanting to create art that represents the location of LPC,” said Professor Elizabeth Wing-Brooks, an Art on Campus Task Force member. “The landscape, the flora and fauna and animals — we kind of took that interest we had and brought it over into this new expo project.”
The Taskforce also encourages students to collaborate on finding materials from nearby Bay Area thrift stores and donation or recycling centers to help benefit the community through reuse and upcycling.
Renowned sculptors, including Alexander Calder and Jean Tinguely, inspired the exhibition. Similar to their works, student artwork on display should be innovative and, as suggested previously, utilize moving parts.
Wing-Brooks encouraged students to explore outside their comfort zone. The process, she hopes, might be just as rewarding as the final piece. “People sometimes limit themselves by their nervousness or their expectations of themselves, and they should really just be open to explore and play.”
“You have the chance to explore all facets of yourself,” said Dean of Arts and Humanity Amy Mattern. Mattern, along with Wing-Brooks, is co-organizer of the gallery and head of the Art on Campus Task Force.
According to the taskforce, the goal for this exhibition is to move beyond previous collections.
Instead of simply showcasing student art, they hope that this gallery will also allow the school to explore, implement and display a greater variety of voices in art. By welcoming artists from different fields of study and various identities, the exhibition organizers encourage all students to fully explore their creativity – whether they be theater or computer science majors or something else.
Designed as an environmentally beneficial space for student collaboration and creation, the upcoming project aims to remind viewers of the universal importance of collaboration while also inspiring a new generation of students to step outside their comfort zone.
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TOP PHOTO: Students at LPC walk past a wall of artwork located in the 1000 building on Oct. 7, 2026. Las Positas college has a large art collection on campus, and offers virtual tours on their website. They also have galleries open year-round, featuring a large array of artworks. (Photo by Sophia Sucato // The Express).
Celina is a staff writer for The Express. Follow her on Instagram @celiinarosa.
