Current Exhibition

Well Fed

Featuring works by Mentor Program

May 19 – 30, 2026

Reception: Thursday, May 21, 5 – 8 p.m.

The Santa Monica College (SMC) Art Department presents Well Fed, an exhibition showcasing work by student artists from the Mentor Program led by Professor Emily Silver. The exhibition is a collaborative effort, curated by Gallery Exhibitions & Display students led by Professor Kim Garcia.

Well Fed rewrites the antiquated myth of the “starving artist.” This exhibition is a testament to what can be created when artists are nourished through creative and intellectual exchange.The work on view challenges the rigid systems that confine us: conventional expression, rampant consumerism, technological encroachment, and informational overload.

SMC’s Mentor Program provides a uniquely collaborative environment for artists across backgrounds to explore and expand their practice. Here, artists are able to be fiercely committed, vulnerable, and curious as they surrender to their creative calling. The students of the Gallery Program worked with this dynamic group to create this exhibition, developing their own professional abilities along the way.

This exhibition features work by Ava Baroni, Duncan Bielman, Alex Cruz, Charlie Danger, Caleb Deal, Louie Esteem, Kim Farbota, Jeffrey Heimer, Kate McGinnis, Ernie Mcpeek, Jenny Park, Alejandre Rodriguez, sarah k. skogland, Kaili Stafford, April Vasquez, Ira Zimmerman. 

To stay updated on this show and the Barrett Gallery's work, please follow us on Instagram via @smcbarrettgallery.