LBCC’s Art Gallery hosted an opening reception for a solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based photographer Star Montana on Thursday at LAC, K-100.
The exhibition, “By The River, I May Destroy You” was co-curated by Alex Nicholls and Karla Aguiniga, will run until Oct. 25.
According to the introduction on LBCC’s website, “this body of work—featuring a selection of recently produced photographs—takes water as its central theme and highlights diverse locales, including Los Angeles, Texas, New Mexico, Northern California, and Mexico.”
These sites are deeply connected to Montana’s personal history and significant in presenting her Mexican-American heritage.
“One of the ways that I was able to contribute to this exhibition is by contextualizing some of the ideas and themes that are present in the images through writing. Something I was thinking a lot about was the allegorical power of water and the river and the duality that it possesses,” co-curator Alex Nicholls said at the show’s beginning.
Artist Star Montana’s archival inkjet print, “Trying to remember our forgotten paths,” is displayed on the wall. LBCC Art Gallery hosted an opening reception for Montana’s solo exhibition in the K-Building on LAC at Long Beach City College on Sept. 25, 2025. (Tien Nguyen)
Many students and visitors were excited to see Montana’s work as the event was widely advertised and is part of the Latina/o/x Heritage Month celebration activities.
“This exhibit was a surprise for me. It’s my first one where it’s all photographs, and what I really love is—I read somewhere that Star is kind of working as a stand-in for all of her different family members. So we’re looking at an image of this woman, but it’s also an image of all the different family members that have been in these places. So she’s kind of herself, a template, or an icon to experience the spaces through, which I think is a really special way to look at the moments,” LBCC student Kirstin Brehm said.
Montana captures rivers and places where her family used to live, incorporating herself into most of the photos.
Besides some independent pieces, others are assembled into four sections named “Displacement,” “Discovery,” “Sovereignty” and “Loss and Memory.”
“I noticed that my great-grandmother, my grandmother, all of us have always had to live next to rivers. So I started with research, and I noticed for 500 years it’s been like that,” Montana said.
Artist Star Montana (left) and co-curators Alex Nicholls (center) and Karla Aguiniga (right) introduce the exhibition. LBCC Art Gallery hosted an opening reception for Star Montana’s solo exhibition on Sept. 25. (Tien Nguyen)
To Montana, the river’s meaning was a source of survival and connection, reflecting that her family had lived next to rivers for generations, and this relationship had continued to flow in her photography.
Regarding militarized borders, Montana said, “It’s really dangerous, you know. And so there should not be borders around rivers that harm people.”
“By The River, I May Destroy You” remains on view until Oct. 25 with an artist talk and closing reception from 1 to 3 p.m. at LAC, K-100.
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