Dozens of local artists and Museum staff have ensured that the Crocker’s popular student and community exhibitions stay digitally accessible during the COVID-19 shutdowns. The exhibitions on view feature a range of local artists and mediums and are presented in partnership with local organizations like the Sierra Wax Artists group and Viewpoint Photographic Art Center. Virtual walkthroughs can be found at crockerart.org/community-exhibitions.
The Crocker’s student and community exhibition program is led by Crocker educator Crystal Ruiz. When Crystal started interning at the Crocker in 2016, she was “blown away by how creative and amazing students were when it came to talking about and making art.” She compares seeing local artists’ work for the first time to unwrapping a birthday present, saying “you never know what it’s going to be … you can tell how much work and time went into creating something.” Under Crystal’s tenure, the Crocker has been able to offer virtual exhibitions and more interpretive programming for the student and community exhibition program. Her current goal is to show more artists and organizations from traditionally under-represented groups.
The Museum’s current student and community exhibition, Multiple Horizons: Native Perspectives at the Crossroads, is a selection of work by local Native American artists and continues the conversation started by the Museum’s 2019 exhibition When I Remember I See Red: American Indian Art and Activism in California. The exhibition will be followed by several youth art shows.
Top Image: Alyssa Canafe, Back in Time. 2021
About the Author: Brian Hendershot serves as the Crocker's primary support editor, writer, and occasional audiovisual editor. Before joining the Crocker, he was the Head of Communications at the Museum of the Red River in Oklahoma. He also sat on the McCurtain County Historical Board of Directors and the Crocker's MASS Action Committee. He received his MA in Communications at Drury University in Missouri.
