About The collection

The World Cultures art collection at Mesa College was initially assembled to introduce Mesa College students to art created for use in Africa. Over the past few years, the collection has expanded to include works of art from Asia, the Americas and the Pacific regions. The collection was established in 1976 by Art Historian Dr. Barbara Blackmun, when a few pieces of African Art were gratefully accepted from generous donors. The first large donations of African Art established the nucleus of a growing collection between 1983 and 1988, which continued until Dr. Blackmun's retirement in 2010. At that time, Art Historian Dr. Denise Rogers took over managing the collection to ensure that Mesa students as well as the larger community continue to have access to this valuable resource. With the ongoing generosity of donors, the collection has continued to grow over the years and currently there are over 1200 pieces in the collection from Africa, the Pacific Islands, MesoAmerica and the continent of Asia.

 

Each Semester, Dr. Rogers and students enrolled in Art History courses exhibit selections from the collection in the Glass Gallery located on the first floor of the campus Learning Resource Center (LRC). The collection also enables students enrolled in the Mesa College Museum studies program to gain necessary hands on training. The collection will continue to serve as a valuable resource for students studying Art History, the Humanities, Black Studies, Studio Art as well as the general public.