Santa Monica College’s Emeritus program moved its annual student exhibition online in 2022, presenting more than 90 works by 40 older adult artists in the first of a two-part display.
The exhibition opened on 21 April through the SMC Emeritus Art Gallery. Its scale reflected the continuing demand for the programme, which had attracted enough participants to require two separate online presentations.
A broad range of approaches
The works represented varied levels of experience and different modes of production. Some students pursued highly controlled technical studies, while others worked through expressive, analytical or experimental approaches.
Gallery curator Jesse Benson described the exhibition as notable for the diversity of its artistic voices. Rather than imposing a single theme, the display allowed individual practices to remain distinct and made the range of the programme visible.
The opening event included discussion of selected works by Benson and Emeritus Associate Dean Scott Silverman, alongside contributions from participating artists. This format added context to the online presentation and gave students an opportunity to speak publicly about their work.
Lifelong learning through art
Santa Monica College founded the Emeritus programme in 1975 to serve the educational interests of older adults. By 2022, it offered more than 120 noncredit classes and special programmes to over 3,000 students each year.
The digital exhibition extended that mission beyond the physical gallery. Viewers could access the works at any time, while the live launch created a shared moment for artists, teachers and audiences.
The project showed how an online format could support an established community-based arts programme without reducing the exhibition to a simple archive. It preserved individual presentation, public discussion and collective recognition, while making the work available to a broader audience than the gallery alone could accommodate.