Hartnell College Gallery Opens Academic Year with "Roots to Horizons" Exhibition
The Hartnell College Gallery opened the 2025–26 academic year with "Roots to Horizons", an exhibition celebrating three major milestones: the 90th anniversary of Hartnell’s Art Department (established in 1936), the 50th anniversary of the Visual Arts Building (1977), and the completion of a two-year renovation.
The exhibition honors generations of faculty and artists who have shaped the department’s legacy, from founding instructor Leon Amyx to today’s educators and practitioners. Roots to Horizons features works by Chris Bassett, Joe Bragdon, Eric Bosler, Robert Butterbaugh, Philip T. Cerney, Maureen Fenton, Georgesse Gomez, J.C. Gonzalez, Johanna Keefe, Jerri Nemiro, Pam Murakami, Eduardo Ramos, Lesha Maria Rodriguez, Leon Amyx, Marshall Sharpe, Gary Smith, and Trish Triumpho Sullivan.
This exhibition also marks the arrival of Marshall Sharpe, Hartnell’s new gallery director and full-time art instructor. Sharpe brings both administrative experience and a vibrant studio practice to his role, reinforcing the college’s commitment to integrating teaching, exhibitions, and community engagement. His own paintings, shown alongside those of his colleagues, reflect the vitality and evolving vision of the department.
A closing reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, Oct. 2, on the north side of the newly remodeled Visual Arts Building to celebrate the reopening of Hartnell’s revitalized hub for the visual arts. Community members, elected officials, college staff, faculty, and supporters gathered to commemorate this important milestone in the college’s art history.
The Visual Arts Building renovation was funded through the Measure T bond initiative, with additional support from the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, an anonymous donor, the Burrell Leonard Art Gallery Endowment, and other private donors through the Hartnell College Foundation.
For more information or to view Hartnell’s permanent art collection, visit hartnellcollegegallery.org. Local artists interested in participating in future exhibitions may contact Gallery Director Marshall Sharpe at dsharpe@hartnell.edu.
