The first thing your eyes focus on as you enter the Euphrat Museum of Art is what you would least expect to find inside: basketballs.

Hundreds of neon orange balls invade the corner of a white expanse in  “Basketball Pyramid” by artist David Huffman.

But the sight doesn’t faze Diana Argabrite, director of the Euphrat Museum.

She admitted that the Euphrat was small, but explained it is very rare for a community college to have a space like this.

“Some might have a room used for storage until an ambitious faculty created it as a place to hang art, but to have an actual dedicated museum space
designed for that purpose is a treasure, ” she said. “It shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

The Euphrat’s annual transformations from physical space to a meaningful place are reminiscent of the theme of its next exhibition, “Making Space,” which will run Oct. 21 to Dec. 5 and explore the uses of and meanings behind space.

The exhibition will feature the film “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” and the work of 13 other artists, including De Anza College alum Titus Kaphar.

“Making Space” will also include projects with De Anza students from art classes, the Puente Project, and the Sankofa Scholars Program.

Argabrite’s participation in De Anza’s Equity Action Council inspired her curation.

“A lot of what went on last year in the Equity Action Council was talk about space,” she said.

“The more I researched, I thought space is physical, psychological, and cultural. There are many ways to look at it, think about it and occupy it.”