Jazz music, refreshments and an abundance of art will all be part of the open house and annual student art show reception happening Friday, May 23, from 4-9 p.m. at El Camino College.

The Fine Arts Division Open House features opportunities to look into various classrooms throughout the entire Arts Complex, including jewelry, ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, digital arts and other classes.

Music from the ECC Jazz Ensemble and chalk art demonstrations are other festivities part of the event.

“It’s really worthwhile to come and see, and it’s just such an honor for the students and for us to be able to show it to everybody, to show the campus what can be done here,” Carrie Lockwood, Art Gallery associate, said.

Student artwork created in various ECC classes will also be on display in the Art Gallery during the open house.

The student show opens Monday, May 19, and ends Thursday, June 5.

Two student works representing each art class offered this semester will be in the show, totaling 150 or more art objects on display in the gallery.

“[The open house] brings the students—and a lot of times their parents and their family come—to see their work in the exhibition,” Lockwood said.

Live demonstrations and additional student work in various mediums will be featured in open classrooms attended by faculty and staff during the event.

An open house for the division hasn’t occurred since before the COVID-19 pandemic and will be hosted in the new Arts Complex for the first time.

“The professors are great, and the students and what they learn here is top notch and they can go to great schools from here, and so it’s really worthwhile,” Lockwood said. “It’s really great we get to have another open house.”