Santa Fe College has been committed to supporting the arts through Gallery exhibitions since 1976. At this time, school administrators and concerned members of the community established the SFCC Endowment Corporation for the express purpose of creating an Art Gallery. On April 19, 1978, this vision became reality as the Community Gallery of Art opened its doors to the public.
The first Director, Dr. Barbara Ebersole, guided the Gallery through its inaugural gala and first exhibition season. After her passing in the fall of 1978, Dr. Ebersole's husband, Robert Ebersole, directed the Gallery on a part-time basis, eventually becoming its full-time Director in 1979. Under the Ebersoles, the Community Gallery of Art was the first Community College Art Gallery approved by the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institution for high-security exhibitions. Shows such as "Voyages of Discovery:Historical Paintings by George Caitlin" and "Antwerp Drawings and Prints from the 16th and 17th Centuries" included works from both approving Institutions. Works from their collections were regularly exhibited at the Community Gallery of Art.
Following Mr. Ebersole's retirement in 1984, Carrie Brewster was selected as the Gallery Director and continued the traditions started by her predecessors.
Succeeding Ms. Brewster, after her departure in 1991, was Nancy C. Ward, Instructor of Art at Santa Fe Community College. As Curator of the Gallery, Mrs. Ward responded to changes in College and community needs by reorganizing the Community Gallery of Art into what is now The Santa Fe Gallery. Mrs. Ward shifted the primary mission of the Gallery to focus on serving as a teaching and learning resource for SFCC students, faculty and staff, and the community at large. Under Mrs. Ward, The Santa Fe Gallery became committed to exhibiting works by contemporary artists and to becoming an instructional tool for the Department of Creative Arts and Humanities. With this change, she established the "Annual Art Faculty Show" and "The Annual Student Art Show" as outlets for the creative energies of SFCC faculty and students.
In 1994, Mallory O'Connor was appointed Curator of the Santa Fe Gallery. In addition to her duties as Gallery Curator, she is an Instructor of Art History at SFCC and the author of Lost Cities of the Ancient Southeast (University Press, 1995). After five years of service, during which the Santa Fe Gallery hosted a wide variety of artworks ranging from contemporary exhibits of Latin American, Asian as well as national and regional artworks, Mrs. O'Connor returned to her professional research and teaching on a full time basis. Mrs. O'Connor continued to lend her expertise to the Gallery Advisory Board, established in the summer of 1999 during a restructuring of the Gallery staff.
Special Projects Coordinator of the Creative Arts and Humanities, Sara Benefield, was appointed as the Gallery Manager. The position of Gallery Manager was created to oversee the daily activities of the Gallery. VPA Chair Leslie Lambert was named Director of the Galleries.
In 2003 Jayne Grant was hired as the Curator of the Santa Fe Gallery and five satellite venues. Before joining the Gallery staff, Jayne Grant taught for 23 years at Santa Fe having established the Graphic Design program in 1980. She has also taught graphic design and advertising at the University of Florida for over 20 years. Mrs. Grant has authored four graphic design and advertising textbooks and serves on numerous boards and committees in Gainesville and around the state. For three years, she was also the Special Projects Manager and Publicist for SF's Visual and Performing Arts Department.
The summer of 2006 saw leadership changes as Leslie Lambert stepped down as Gallery Director to return full-time to the Art History classroom, and Jayne Grant took over the helm of the Galleries as Manager. In 2012 after thirty plus years of service and dedication to the students, faculty and staff at Santa Fe College Jayne Grant retired having brought the gallery to a previously unheard of level of prominence and recognition. Change has continued for the Santa Fe gallery seeing former gallery assistant Kyle Novak take over the role of gallery manager. Kyle Novak has installed exhibits at many notable events including Art Basil, the Miami based international art festival, as well as Pulse New York and Los Angeles.
The Gallery continues to host the Annual Fine Arts Faculty Art Show, Annual Fine Arts Juried Student Art Show, and the annual League for Innovation Student Art Competition.
For more information please contact the Art Gallery Manager, 352-395-5464.
