San Diego City College’s City Gallery was filled with a crowd of people admiring beautiful artwork during an art show created by a selection of 12 San Diego-based artists on Oct. 8. City College hosted the art reception titled AB12/Abstract San Diego, curated by Stephen P. Curry.

“I wanted a non-representational abstraction art by San Diego artists,” Curry said. “I selected the most diverse people and mediums for the gallery.”

Curry was selected to organize the art gallery and essentially pick the theme for the gallery. His ultimate goal was to make sure there wasn’t anything realistic in it and wanted non-representational work using paint, sculptors, metal and even drawings.

“It’s a theme I’ve had in my head and I’ve always wanted to do,” Curry said.

City College student Kahoa Tiuong said, “There’s a dynamic atmosphere here. Everyone seems to be very optimistic.”

That is essentially the purpose of art, to make the audience feel a certain type of way. There were plenty of very vibrant and colorful pieces to enjoy and the audience seemed to enjoy it.

Each artist had its own style and used a different medium to create their work. When one of the artists, Augusto Sandroni, was asked about his style and inspiration, he said, “I used acrylic painting. I’ve been studying new vogue and abstraction and using that to develop my own style.”

Wayne Hulgin, a professor at City College who teaches art, was also a participant in the art gallery. He took a variety of objects and paint to a different level. He explained how he made his series by using mixed mediums and using squeeze bottles to paint them blue.

“I wanted to do something different,” Hulgin said, “I was tired of traditional painting. I wanted something new and tried to branch out.”

Shayne, a painting major from San Diego State University, was seen thoroughly enjoying one of the painting pieces.

“I really like the space here,” Shayne said. “It forces you to move throughout the gallery.”

And that’s exactly what the crowd was doing. With artwork up on the wall and sculptors in the middle of the floor, there was always something to look at. There was a positive atmosphere in the room with people discussing the artwork and taking their own photos.

Why should someone come to a local community college’s art gallery? It’s something different from the norm and makes the audience think. The theme was abstract, which gives the audience a chance to make their own interpretation about the pieces.

“Having an outside curator helps bring more exposure to City College, which benefits them in the long run,” Hulgin said.