First Friday

SCAL is thrilled to host monthly First Friday receptions. Join us for refreshments, community, and incredible exhibitions. Our receptions are 5:00 - 7:30 pm on the First Friday of the month. Check out our upcoming exhibitions page to see our current and upcoming exhibitions!

First Friday receptions at the Santa Cruz Art League are FREE for anyone to attend, and our gallery is always free to visit!

There will be no food or beverages allowed in the gallery or lobby due to the nature of the artwork installed until April 10. First Friday refreshments will be served in the classroom on February 6 and March 6.

Beyond Closed Doors: Containments of Identity and Expression
2026 Curate This! Exhibition

On View: Wednesday, May 27 - Friday, June 5, 2026

First Friday Reception: June 5, 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm

What makes and creates an individual, the container of essence that we see manifested in the artworks presented? What is it that contains and creates limitations for the individual? How does the representation of oneself in the real world differ from the perceptions of others and of what is expressed through different media that is not oneself? This exhibition, curated by intern curators Nirvana Alcaraz, Reya Nichols, & Linn Kyaw, explores identity through the lens of both physical and abstract limitations.

Beyond Closed Doors is a part of the Santa Cruz Art League’s annual Curate This! internship program in partnership with UCSC’s HAVC (History of Art & Visual Culture) department. While only three intern curators are selected to organize the exhibition, the exhibit itself is open to artwork submissions from college students across the Bay Area, allowing us to display works from a myriad of emerging artists.