The Santa Monica College Emeritus Art Gallery will host a free opening reception Thursday, Sept. 18, for "Nurturing Masculinities," a photography exhibition by Juan Manuel Valenzuela that examines generational shifts in cultural definitions of masculinity.
The reception runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the gallery, located on the first floor of the SMC Emeritus Campus at 1227 Second St. The exhibition continues through Nov. 7 as part of FotoSoCal, a constellation of art exhibits presented at more than 20 community colleges across Southern California.
Valenzuela uses photography to document how concepts of masculinity are passed between generations. Exhibition Curator Erika Hirugami describes the work as the artist's "blueprint and aesthetic exploration of the soft margins of intergenerationally inherited masculinity," contrasting what Valenzuela learned from his elders with the nurturing he aims to provide his son.
Hirugami, a first-generation Mexican Japanese immigrant, founded CuratorLove and co-founded UNDOC+Collective. As curatorial director of FotoSoCal, she selected works that challenge traditional notions of Latino masculinities while showcasing methodical production techniques rarely seen in major museum photography collections.
"Valenzuela's work is compelling conceptually and in materiality," Hirugami said. "The work is equal parts aesthetically challenging to a larger conversation about Latino masculinities, while also being methodically produced in ways rarely seen in the photography canon at major museums."
Gallery Director Jesse Benson said the exhibition offers viewers an opportunity to consider Valenzuela's work both as a standalone piece and within Hirugami's broader FotoSoCal project.
The gallery is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Parking is available at Santa Monica Public Parking Structure No. 2 next door to the campus.
SMC's Emeritus program, founded in 1975, serves the lifelong learning interests of older adults through more than 120 noncredit classes and special programs for more than 3,000 students annually.
More information is available at smc.edu/emeritusgallery.
Edited by SMDP Staff