De Anza Student Art From 1971 to 2011 on Display at Euphrat Museum of Art

The at has opened Bridging Generations: De Anza Collects, an art exhibit that displays artwork centered around the theme of globalization

The exhibit looks to bridge different cultures and generations by showing ways people celebrate life and death, youth and elders, and how they live their daily lives in an increasingly globalized world.

"We wanted to show the common threads amongst all people," said Diana Argabrite, director of arts and schools, of the De Anza student art and West African art.

Argabrite also teaches Gallery Exhibition Design and Internships in Art.

The exhibit showcases artwork from De Anza students from 1971 to 2011 with contemporary paintings, photos and textiles from West Africa. Art collectors such as Dr. Al and Phyllis Rutner allowed the exhibit to pick out pieces from their home collection.

Some of the artwork responds to events that occurred in our globalized world, such as Lorna Outcalt's "Almighty Dollar" triptych. The triptych, which is a work of art that is divided into three sections that can be folded shut, shows the evolution of the iconography of the American dollar through time over the three panels.

“I am so excited to be a part of this show," said Outcalt, a De Anza student 2D design student. "Each of my classmates' pieces depict an American icon of some sort, and quite often the distortion between the generally accepted meaning of that image and reality. They range from really very clever to truly beautiful."

The De Anza student body has shown tremendous support in the exhibit. Two Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) installations were created specifically for the exhibit and are in the special projects gallery.

The first installation, Honoring, features poems by Puente students honoring family, friends and musicians who have passed on. Small offerings such as candles and sugar skulls were added by students, faculty and staff.

The second installation, Buy Buy, is a collaborative effort between the Gallery Exhibition Design class and an Arts 8 Design class that examines the deathly effects of consumerism and globalization.

"There were students involved every step of the way," Argabrite said. "With really good support from the student body."

The exhibit is open until December 8; Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A special community outreach program is paired with the show, which will include hands-on activities related to the exhibit.  The outreach program will be on December 3.

—Written by Hung Tran