The Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts held a reception as a send-off to its 2026 Faculty & Staff Art Exhibition on Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. The exhibition, which opened on Dec. 16 and ran until the day of the reception, showcased and sold artwork created by members of the COD faculty and staff.
The free, public reception took place in the Marks Art Center courtyard, where guests enjoyed catered food and live musical performances. Coinciding with the event, an art market outside of the courtyard featured student-run booths selling handmade artwork.
Alex Jazán, a communication studies professor and former dean of social sciences and arts, opened the reception by welcoming attendees and singing a cover of “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, which he dedicated to the faculty and staff he has worked with at College of the Desert.
“I think it’s important to be able to communicate our appreciation and our gratitude for even the smallest things, and that was a way for me to be able to offer something to everybody that I worked with in social sciences and arts,” said Jazán.
COD Media Lab Technician Celina Gentry, who records music under the name Petras Bixby, then performed three original songs on vocals and acoustic guitar.
Inside the Marks Art Center, students and staff socialized and viewed the exhibition, which displayed works from eighteen COD staff and faculty members. The artwork showcased a diverse range of mediums, such as painting, photography, ceramic and stained glass. Commercial music program professor Chris Reba, whose mixed media artwork was featured in the exhibition, provided a live bed of musical ambiance via modular synthesizer.
Another staff member celebrated in the exhibition was health services program assistant Myalina Benavides, who contributed three acrylic still-life paintings. Benavides said that the exhibition offered an opportunity to bring together the artists’ professional and personal sides, which, in turn, can help staff and faculty feel more approachable to students:
“It’s kind of like breaking those barriers. I feel like art is a great way to do that, because it’s just like food, you know? People love pretty things, and they like to eat, so, it’s a good way for us to come together… Everybody understands a meal cooked with love, and [it’s] the same with art.”
Benavides was joined at the exhibition by a large group of friends and colleagues who came to see her artwork. She said that the exhibition reaffirmed her belief in the importance of community, helped to build her confidence and served as an important reminder to celebrate her own accomplishments.
“I feel like, especially here at COD, people are so close-knit, and once you find the right person, everything else falls into place,” said Benavides. ”I would just encourage students: just do what you love, and support who you love, too.”
For more information on future COD art exhibitions, visit the Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts on the Palm Desert campus or call (760) 776-7278.
