Released: January 30, 2026
Exhibition of Atma Bernardi’s abstract art continues through March 27
Stairway to Heaven – acrylic gouache on canvas 60”x 30”
Santa Fe Community College announces an opening reception for Visions from the Constructed Mind from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, February 26 in the Dean’s Gallery in the Fine Arts Center, 6401 Richards Ave. 87508. The exhibition features the abstract art of Atma Bernardi, an alum of SFCC’s Fine Arts program. The reception is free. Refreshments will be served. The exhibition continues through Friday, March 27.
Director of Art on Campus Linda Cassel said, “This exhibition is a full-circle moment for Atma Bernardi who first began his serious study of art at Santa Fe Community College. SFCC is delighted to showcase his large-scale, bold and expressive work.”
Atma Bernardi’s Artist Statement
“I create from a space of quiet attentiveness – listening to memories, imagined futures, and the subtle rhythms of the natural world. A misty morning, the sound of footsteps in the woods, the courtship of birds, people around and with me – these fleeting sensations become the emotional foundation of my work.
“Through drawing, painting, and layering, I translate feeling into form. Lines emerge, colors shift, shapes evolve. I build and erase, guided by intuition allowing the work to reveal itself slowly. In this process chaos gives way to structure, mirroring the fragile, constructed nature of memory and mind.
“My work is not about depicting scenes, but about embodying presence – of breath, of emotion, of time passing. It is where love, confusion, joy, and pain converge, and where the act of making becomes a meditation on being.” – Atma Bernardi
Atma Bernardi’s Bio
Atma Bernardi is a Santa Fe-based artist, who earned his Associate of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Drawing and Painting in 2021 from SFCC. Bernardi went on to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico in 2024. Born in Vittorio Veneto, Italy. Bernardi grew up immersed in a landscape rich with artistic heritage, though his own creative path emerged later in life. After moving to the United States in 2013 to work in the organic food industry, he retired in 2018 and turned his focus to art, discovering a profound passion for visual expression.
Inspired by his love of reading, music and the natural world, Bernardi often carries a sketchbook, capturing fleeting moments with quick drawings or poetic fragments. These impressions—combined with memory and imagination—form the foundation of his abstract studio practice.
Whether at his easel or seated in the garden with a cup of tea, Bernardi remains committed to deep observation, continually opening himself to the intricacies of nature and the inner landscapes of thought and feeling. His work reflects an ongoing journey of presence, perception and personal discovery.
The Hours – acrylic gouache and micaceous iron oxide on 36” diameter canvas
SFCC Pop-Up Shows/Exhibitions
SFCC’s short-term pop-up shows are showcased in the Dean’s Gallery in the front lobby of the Fine Arts Center.
Pop-up shows in Dean’s Gallery are available for viewing during regular campus open hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Visitors who stop by between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday can also see the current exhibition in the Visual Arts Gallery.
For more information, contact Director of Art on Campus Linda Cassel via email at linda.cassel@sfcc.edu or by phone at 505-428-1501.
For more than 40 years Santa Fe Community College has been the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
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Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.
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