MORAGA, CA.- Saint Mary’s College of California has begun construction on an expansion of the Hearst Art Gallery. The new construction will enable the College to increase exhibition space by 50 percent and display a greater number of the 4,500 works of art from Saint Mary's permanent collection in two new large galleries. The Hearst Art Gallery will remain open during construction and the gallery's director Carrie Brewster encourages the public to visit the current exhibition “Pam Glover: A Life in Art,” which is on view until Sept. 11.

"Even though we have fences up all around the construction, we encourage visitors to come see Pam Glover's work. She was an amazing artist and the exhibition includes 61 plein air landscapes and other works, including postwar fashion illustrations," said Brewster. Public hours are Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Gallery’s William Keith Room, which features works by California’s 19th century master landscape painter, will be closed until construction is completed in early October.

In addition to the build out at the Hearst Art Gallery, other capital improvements currently underway at the College include the installation of a new artificial turf for an athletic practice field and building a new ball park for the SMC Gaels — which is part of the planned 50,000 square-foot Joseph L. Alioto Recreation Center. While the College has reached an initial goal of $600,000 to support the gallery's initiative, it will continue to seek funding for additional enhancements and programmatic needs associated with the new construction.