Saint Mary's College Museum of Art in Moraga opens three exhibitions Wednesday, Sept. 16, all free and open to the public, with an opening reception Thursday, Sept. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Two of the shows were built by students.
The student-curated exhibitions grew out of a spring 2026 course, CORE 370: Curating the Museum. Students from multiple disciplines worked with museum curator Britt Royer to research objects in the museum's permanent collection, choose pieces and develop the shows, according to the college.
War, media and 17 prints
"Choreographies of Calamities: Art Hazelwood and the Media of War" features 17 prints by San Francisco artist and activist Art Hazelwood, most created in response to the Iraq War in the early 2000s. The works span four printmaking processes: engraving, etching, linocut and screenprinting.
Ten engravings from Hazelwood's series "Hubris Corpulentus" anchor the show. Hazelwood, who holds a fine arts degree from UC Santa Cruz and teaches drawing at San Quentin State Prison and other settings, said the engraving process matched his subject: "The minuteness, obsessiveness required were the perfect match for my wish to focus anger at details of this monumentally hubristic war."
Hazelwood and student curator William Fraser will lead a tour of the exhibition Oct. 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. Hazelwood will also join a panel on homeless rights Nov. 18 from 3 to 7 p.m.
The female gaze in 11 works
"Fix Your Face: Representations of the Female Gaze" gathers 11 works by nine women artists, including photography, printmaking and painting. The show draws on British film theorist Laura Mulvey's concept of the "male gaze" and asks how women artists reframe the relationship among viewer, subject and creator.
Featured artists include Jackie Nickerson, Nicola Constantino, Johnna Arnold, Michal Chelbin, Barbara Ravizza, Barbara Warren Ebersole, Kathe Kollwitz, Louise Hervieu and Marion Palfi. Three photographs by Nickerson and works by Constantino, Arnold and Chelbin are on view for the first time, part of a recent gift from the Pilara Family Foundation and Pier 24.
Student Cole Erdmann, class of 2028, said he was drawn to Palfi's gelatin silver print "In the Shadow of the Capitol," circa 1947, describing the image as so full of personality it feels alive.
A third show: Malcolm Kenter
The museum's third fall opening, "Synecdoche: Malcolm Kenter," is the first solo exhibition of San Francisco-based artist Malcolm Kenter, exploring Bay Area architectural history through 21 works created over 10 years. That show runs through Dec. 13, with an artist talk Nov. 19 at 10 a.m., according to a separate college announcement.
Visiting
The museum is at 1928 Saint Mary's Rd. in Moraga, across from the Soda Activity Center. Admission and all programs are free. Public tours begin Sept. 24 on select Thursdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through December. Contact: (925) 631-4379 or [email protected].
