Travelers passing through San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are getting a masterclass in Bay Area creativity this year. Shared Impressions: Printmaking from Laney College, a new exhibition featuring the work of 15 Laney student artists, is now officially on display at SFO in Terminal 1 (also known as the Harvey Milk Terminal; near the connector with the International terminal).
Laney printmaking students visit SFO. Photo by Scot Tucker.
On Thursday, April 30, nearly 35 students from Laney Art Professor Alex Echevarria’s printmaking courses made the trip from Oakland via BART to celebrate the installation. The group was met by Allie Haeusslein, the SFO Museum’s Curator of Photography and Student Art, and Julie Takata, the Curator in Charge of Collections Management at SFO Museum, for a guided tour that offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at professional curating and the logistics of exhibiting in a world-class transit hub.
Featured Laney student artists include:
- Raha Banoo
- Julie Bongers
- Carol R. Brown
- Ash Cable
- Penny Flood
- Sam Freeman
- Penny Jennings
- Casey Ngan
- Michele Petherick
- Angela Roberts
- Abigail Shaw
- Z. Starks
- Rena Tom
- Ryan Williams
- Gabriela Zambrano
The exhibit, located pre-security in Gallery 1A, features 32 prints that showcase a stunning range of techniques, including relief, intaglio, and monotype. For many of the 15 featured artists—all of whom were present for the tour—seeing their work professionally framed and illuminated in a high-traffic gallery was a transformative experience.
"The artwork belongs there," noted one observer during the visit. "It is beautifully framed for travelers across the globe to see."
The scale of exposure is significant. The SFO Museum, an AAM-accredited museum located within the San Francisco International Airport, was founded in 1980 as the first cultural institution of its kind in an airport. The museum presents a dynamic program of rotating exhibitions on art, history, science, and culture, and maintains a permanent collection of aviation artifacts. SFO Museum officials estimate that if only 10% of yearly passengers stop at any of their 26 exhibition spaces, the student artists could reach millions of visitors over the course of the year-long display.
Professor Echevarria, who co-curated the exhibit with Haeusslein, noted that the visit was a high point for his classes, which included students from five different sections (Printmaking various levels including ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, ART 103, and Special Projects ART 117).
“It was really special for the students and everyone really enjoyed it,” Echevarria said, reflecting on the day. He also expressed his deep appreciation for the “collaboration and partnership” with the SFO Museum staff that brought the project to fruition.
Haeusslein praised the caliber of Laney’s printmaking facilities and the dedication of the students. "I was struck by the genuine sense of curiosity in the studio," Haeusslein said. "Alex’s ability to support students at varying stages of their practice speaks volumes about his skill as an instructor. The final result offers a compelling snapshot of the masterful and distinctive work being produced in the Laney studio."
The pieces on display move between abstraction and representation, exploring themes of identity, place, memory, and social experience. Because the Laney College Art Center is equipped for advanced techniques like stone lithography and screenprinting, students are able to hone their skills through sustained experimentation, often taking the course multiple times to refine their personal artistic directions.
Interested in exploring your creativity in a Laney College printmaking class? Enrollment is open for the Summer and Fall semesters! Visit https://laney.edu/art to learn more about the Art program and printmaking classes and visit https://home.peralta.edu/enroll to begin the enrollment process.
Shared Impressions will be on view through April 25, 2027. For those visiting SFO, the gallery is located in Harvey Milk Terminal 1 (Gallery 1A). More information and a digital announcement can be found at the SFO Museum website.
Many thanks to Laney College photography professor Scot Tucker for the photos. Many thanks to Bao Li at the SFO Museum for their additional support.
Photo courtesy of SFO Museum
