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Welcome to the Sonoma State University Department of Art, an inclusive and supportive community of students, staff, and faculty. Together, we work to create opportunities for experimentation, collaboration, cooperation, expression, and personal growth.

Our department offers an interdisciplinary arts education with strong foundations in Art Theory, Art History, technical skills, and professional development. Our facilities include two galleries, a foundry, metal shop, wood shop, dark room, lithography studio, individual studio spaces and a community garden, and we invite students of all backgrounds, religious identification, sexual identity, race, and ethnicity, to join us.

We are working actively to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community for learning and creation to which each individual can bring their whole self. We recognize that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not only morally necessary, but benefit everyone.

Intellectual and creative work fully flourishes in healthy environments with a range of perspectives and experiences. The faculty and staff also recognize that this happens not through the absence of overt racism and discrimination, but through proactive efforts to create, maintain, and expand diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

The field of art has not lived up to these ideals historically and presently. Art has served many purposes, some of them less than just. Access to galleries, museums, and art commissions have not been equally distributed. Art history as a discipline has its origins in nineteenth-century nationalism in Europe. Museums grew in and through colonialism. But we are not beholden to the past. We study it because we must do better. 

 

What are we doing specifically? 

  • We're changing the curriculum. Because representation of diverse artists and cultures isn't enough, art department courses explicitly address issues of gender, race and racism, LGTBQ issues, nationalism, disability, and eco art history in visual culture, art production, and art history. 
  • We commit to hiring an ever more diverse faculty 
  • We promise to address racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination in our community directly and promptly. Violations of the Seawolf Commitment and Code of Conduct including microaggressions will be handled seriously. 

We know that ending discrimination and getting rid of old power structures will take time and require continuous reassessment and action. It will take time to embrace the full capaciousness of art and visual culture. We are committed to the project. 

Announcements

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Congratulations to Eileen Parent for receiving the Waters Collaborative Award

Art Studio lecturer Eileen Parent is a recipient of the Waters Collaborative Award from the Center for Environmental Inquiry. This award was for creating a cross collaboration workshop to document the vegetation of Copeland Creek that included botanical drawings and documentation of the Copeland Creek vegetation. 

Eileen Parent's artwork to be part of an exhibition at the Robert F. Agrella Gallery

Check out Art Studio lecturer Eileen Parent's upcoming exhibition!

Two upcoming events with Art Studio lecturer Emily Davis Adams

November 2nd, 2024

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

In Conversation with painters Karla Wozniak & Emily Davis Adams

Paul Thiebaud Gallery, San Francisco

RSVP to info@paulthiebaudgallery.com

 

November 10th, 2024

3:00 pm

Portrait of Brenda Andrew

Emily Davis Adams and attorney John Mills

Cushion Works, San Francisco

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Call for student art work for Juried Student Exhibition

Calling all SSU students! Open call for art work for the 2024 Juried Student Exhibition. Contact Claudia Molloy for more information

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Fall 2024 Brush Sale

Fall Brush sale August 22nd 12 - 1 in the Art Courtyard!

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Visiting Professor of Sculpture, Alex Hanson, to be an artist in residence at Stove Works

Visiting Art Professor of sculpture, Alex Hanson, will be an artist in residence this summer at Stove Works in Chattanooga, TN. Alex will be creating a series of small wood sculptures.

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Raiven Reyna presents research at the Bay Area Undergraduate Art History Symposium

Art History major Raiven Reyna is presenting her research at the Bay Area Undergraduate Art History Symposium at the University of San Francisco on April 20th. 


 

 

 

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Visiting Art Professor Alex Hanson's solo exhibition at Santa Fe College

Alex's work often focuses on the use of objects, constructed and found, to ask pointed questions. 


 

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Sena Clara Creston's artwork to be shown at the Museum of Sonoma County

Assistant Professor of Art, Sena Clara Creston, will have her piece Semilla Beseda on display at the Museum of Sonoma County a part of the exhibition A Question of Balance which runs from January 27 through May 26.