Art & Art History

The CSU, Chico Department of Art and Art History is dedicated to developing students’ critical thinking skills, creativity, knowledge of aesthetics, and awareness of our Western and non-Western art heritage. Using the highest standards and ideals in the study of the visual arts, the department seeks to provide a quality education in art education, art history, studio art, and interior design. There are four art galleries on the CSU, Chico campus.

Art & Art History

Renaissanced

Dr. Jason Nice
History Department
CSU Chico

Students in Renaissance Civilization: 1300-1500, a course taught by Dr. Jason Nice, were instructed to visit the Turner Print Museum. Despite the fact prints were not all from the Renaissance era, students had to write a one-page paper about the print, analyzing the complicated and enduring themes of the Renaissance. Typically each student writes a 10 to 15 page research paper, and although some students were thrilled, others found the limited writing space difficult and challenging. The end result was impressive work and words capturing the broad themes of the Renaissance. Presentation time: 34 minutes | View Now

Jocularities and Life in Art

Yoshitomo Saito
Artist

Born in 1958 in Tokyo, Japan, Yoshitomo Saito came to the United States after graduating Jiyu Gakuen College. Some of his greatest work is featured in the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco: M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. His presentation features a few of these works, along with a few new eccentric pieces. He is now fully operating his private studio foundry at the Ironton Studios of RiNo art district in Denver, Colorado. Presentation time: 1 hour and 8 minutes | View Now

Drawn in-by Hand: Graphic Prints

Dr. Jerome Pouwels
Professor, Art and Art History Department
CSU Chico

Professor Jerome Pouwels speaks on behalf of his collaborators Trevor Lalaguna and Sheri Simons for their graphic prints collection. The exhibition reveals the act of drawing in the form of individual observations. Some of these observations included silhouettes, models posing, collages of daily views, and interpretations of personal feelings or emotions. These creative pieces were drawn by Chico State art students. Presentation time: 25 minutes | View Now

Prints with Prose

Dr. Rob Davidson
English Department
CSU Chico

The second fall 2019 exhibit at the Janet Turner Print Museum features written works by Dr. Rob Davidson’s students. The exhibit is a result of a semester-long project from his spring 2019 creative writing, advance fiction, and nonfiction courses. The students were challenged to write about print selections from the Turner collection. Students had two constraints; first they had to write a response to visual art and second they had to write flash-pros (flash fiction or nonfiction). The result of these student projects are moving stories that capture attention and emotions. Presentation time: 1 hour, 5 minutes | View Now

Fluid and Porous

John D. Spiak
Director/Chief Curator
Grand Central Art Center
CSU Fullerton

Mr. Spiak is the Director & Chief Curator of the California State University, Fullerton’s Grand Central Art Center (GCAC) in Santa Ana. In this presentation, he discusses his process of curating in the development of socially engaged projects with artists. The talk includes projects realized at GCAC, as well as project developed during his 17-years as curator at Arizona State University Art Museum, where he co-founded the Social Studies Initiative with focus on social practice. This presentation is part of the Hopper Visiting Artist Lecture series. Presentation time: 1 hour, 5 minutes | View Now

Regional Collective: California Society of Printmakers

Leslie Jones
Curator of Prints and Drawings Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Decorative ImageLeslie Jones, Curator of Prints & Drawings at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), discusses her juried exhibition in the Janet Turner Print Museum. She features the nationally significant California Society of Printmakers, one of the oldest printmaking organizations in the United States. She shares her observations of the submissions and her selection process. She then discusses her role as curator of prints at LACMA and what she tends to look for in the work of an artist-printmaker. Join Ms. Jones as she provides this behind the scenes look at an art juror. Presentation time: 36 minutes | View Now

Momento

Jacob Meders
Artist

Decorative ImageJacob Meders, a member of the Mechoopda Tribe of Chico Rancheria, leads an artist talk about his personal experience as Native American artist. Through printmaking, installation, and social practice interventions, Meders challenges ideas of indigenous assimilation and the cultural appropriation of Native American identity. Chico featured his artwork Mǝǝmento: Before at The Janet Turner Print Museum, concurrently with Aksum Belle: Afterwards at the Jacki Headley University Art Gallery. Join Mr. Meders through his artistic journey. Presentation time: 1 hour and 20 minutes | View Now

Social Practice, Political Theatre: The Artwork of Edgar Arceneaux

Edgar Arceneaux
Artist

Decorative ImageEdgar Arceneaux, a Los-Angeles based artist walks us through the life of an artist. By taking ideas from drawings, music, films, or other forms of art, he can be inspired to create other art. He shows the connections between art from the past and how it is reflected in art later. He reveals the truths behind clichés and importance of knowledge. He shows his recent film, “Until Until Until”, and explains some of his artistic methods and tendencies. Arceneaux shows the power of wisdom, opening our eyes to the meaning behind art and time. Presentation Time: 1 hour and 54 minutes | View Now

Public Engagement and Performance Art

A Panel of Artists: Cameron Kelly, Trevor Lalaguna, Melissa Wyman, Raphael Noz
Moderated by Rachel Middleman, Faculty, CSU, Chico Department of Art & Art History

Decorative ImageA panel of four artists discuss their creation of an exhibit, “Performance Space/Play Space,” that took place at various locations throughout the CSU, Chico campus in spring 2016. These art installations and performances provided a week of play and public engagement. One example of the exhibit was provided by artist Cameron Kelly, who decorated a pillar with words and bright colored padding. The public was invited to hug the pillar, and many did. In this presentation, the artists are asked how the project developed, how each artist’s concept emerged, and why the project took the form it did. All of the artists have shown their work nationally and internationally. Presentation Time: 52 minutes | View Now

The Writer’s Voice: Creative Non-Fiction

Dr. Daryl Farmer

Faculty, Department of English, University of Alaska-Fairbanks

 

Dr. Daryl Farmer reads from and discusses “Bicycling Beyond the Divide: Two Journeys into the West.” His book follows him on his 5,000-mile journey through the diverse populations and ever-changing physical and social landscapes that make up America. In 1985, Dr. Farmer traveled by bicycle through 11 Western states and the Canadian province of British Columbia. He wrote his book 20 years later, using the notes from the journal he kept while “on the road.” His story takes place in the context of the world of the mid-1980s and also in the context of his current perspective. He is the recipient of Barnes and Nobel’s Discover Great New Writers Award.

 

Presentation Time: 1 hour, 11 minutes