Jones Art Gallery Hosting BC Art Faculty Exhibit
Monday, September 14, 2026
The Jones Art Gallery at Bakersfield College is hosting the Art Faculty Exhibition starting this week and ending October 8th. The exhibit brings together current work by the artists and educators of the BC Art Department and showcases a variety of disciplines, including painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and many more. The exhibit features 26 individual works of art contributed by 14 BC faculty members.
Angel Lesnikowski, Director of the Jones Art Gallery, expressed excitement for the exhibit and the beautiful artwork on display. “One of the main purposes is to highlight the individual studio practices of our faculty,” she said, “We’re educators, but we’re also working artists with our own studio practices, research, ideas, exhibitions, and different ways of making art. I think putting all that work together in one space shows just how diverse our department is.”
Ms. Lesnikowski also talked about how it is important for students to preview artwork from their professors. “I think it’s really important for students to see their professors actively making and exhibiting artwork,” she said, “We ask our students to take creative risks, develop their own ideas, learn new materials, accept criticism, and put their work in front of other people. This exhibition allows them to see that their professors are doing those same things.”
When asked about her favorite part of the exhibit, Ms. Lesnikowski responded, “My favorite part has honestly been seeing everybody’s work together. When you work alongside someone, you know what they teach, but you may not really know what they’re researching or creating in their own studio. Seeing all of that together really shows the strength and diversity of the people teaching art at Bakersfield College.”
The gallery hosted an opening reception for the exhibit on Thursday, September 10th, and more than 200 people attended and had the opportunity to preview the art pieces, meet some of the artists, and enjoy some light refreshments.
The Art Faculty Exhibit starts on Monday, September 14, 2026, and will be on display until Thursday, October 8, 2026. The gallery is located in the Grace Van Dyke Library, and the operating hours are Monday-Thursday 2:00PM-5:00PM. The exhibition is free and open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Each artwork has information about the piece and the artist who created it, which allows visitors to learn more about ideas, materials, and stories behind the work.
