Why pursue a degree in the visual arts at ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù?
Visual artists challenge us to confront social issues and they present textual and pictorial information in ways that inspire, educate and entertain. We pride ourselves upon being critically demanding and at the same time, supportive and nurturing. The faculty members of this department encourage each student to develop a philosophical and personal direction that will sustain them throughout their artistic careers.
This is an exciting time to join the Department of Art at ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù. With the completion of the Visual Arts Modernization Project in 2024, CSUF’s visual arts program – the largest in the Cal State system – will be a leader in cutting-edge art education and practice within the CSUs.Ìý
What sets ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù’s program apart?
The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredit the Department of Art. This accreditation speaks volumes about the program, students, instructors and the superior quality and expertise in the discipline.
The faculty bring a diversity of backgrounds including advanced study from a wide range of institutions and are award winning, critically acclaimed and internationally recognized individuals make up the core of the faculty. Their work can be found in the collections of major museums throughout the world.
Fine art faculty members working in drawing, painting, photography, video, installation, sculpture, ceramics, glass, crafts and jewelry have exhibited in prestigious museums and galleries in Japan, England, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Italy, South America, and throughout North America. Reviews of their art have been published in national and international publications including Art News, Art Papers, New American Paintings, the International Sculpture Center Contemporanea, New Art Examiner, the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register. They have received awards from the Getty, the National Endowment of the Arts, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, and the Los Angeles Metro Transit Authority.
Members of the animation; game art, animation, & immersive media; graphic and interactive design; and illustration faculty have been published and exhibited in the New York Art Directors; Society of Illustrators, New York and Los Angeles; in film festivals worldwide including (those used as qualifying venues for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival in London, and Filmstock in Debrecen, Germany; a professor in the CSUF graphic design program directly involves students in his scholarly publishing activities which include the widely used and internationally distributed Design Education in Progress: Process and Methodology, Volume 3, Visual Thinking and Color Management: A Comprehensive Guide for Graphic Designers.ÌýTwo of our animation faculty have won an Annie award and a number of them have worked on Emmy, Oscar,ÌýandÌýAnnieÌýnominated or winning productions.
The department faculty has been active in developing partnerships with corporate and public entities to enhance the educational and career opportunities of our students and alumni. The most developed of these interactions involves numerous companies participating in the department’s internship program serving approximately 200 students each year. Drawn from over 100 graphic design, apparel, food, packaging, advertising and other companies are art directors, creative directors, and studio representatives visiting the campus to speak with faculty and students and to review the portfolios of the internship students each semester and at the close of the summer session. Notable among studios in the business of entertainment content creation, promotion and delivery, and playing a key role with the department, are the Nickelodeon Animation and Walt Disney Studios. ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù’s Department of Art holds the distinction of being the only public institution of higher education among 18 worldwide participants in The Walt Disney Company Partners in Education program.
Since 1999,Ìý²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù’s (GCAC) has established a standard for excellence. The award winning live/work/exhibition/performance environment has featured several hundred exhibitions in its galleries, has hosted numerous artists in its artist-in-residence program, produced close to 100 publications, and has produced many fine art prints of prominent and early-to-mid-career fine artists.
What exhibition opportunities are available for fine artists?
CSUF’s fine artists exhibit their two-dimensional, three-dimensional and digital art in international, national and regional venues. These include museums, commercial galleries, art fairs, university galleries, art and cultural centers, corporate and private collections, film festivals, and online publications. Alumni have exhibited at such places as the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, P.P.O.W., White Cube (London), and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. In Southern California, alumni art can be seen at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, UCLA Hammer Museum, Laguna Art Museum, Ben Maltz Gallery, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Angels Gate, Side Street Projects, L.A.C.E., the Mountain Bar, and at the selected galleries Acuna-Hansen, D.E.N. Contemporary, Mark Moore, Western Projects, Robert Berhman, Koplin del Rio, and Patricia Correia. Still others organize and participate in international street painting festivals throughout Europe.
Available to students on campus are the three student galleries within the Visual Arts Complex. There are also the TSU Gallery in the Titan Student Union, the Atrium Gallery located in the Pollack Library, and numerous galleries within the nine square-block Artists Village of Santa Ana, CA.Ìý
What successes have ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Alumni achieved after graduation?
Dispersed throughout the nation, CSUF Department of Art Alumni are succeeding in the pursuit of their dreams. They have pursued their dreams with great success, establishing careers as fine and applied artists, professors, teachers, department heads and directors. Because artists are such great problem solvers, alumni can be found working in surprisingly varied businesses, both arts and non-arts related. Many alumni are working within arts organizations, commercial exhibition spaces, art libraries, art collections, non-profit organizations, cultural centers, and in arts and entertainment related industries. Many alumni actively exhibit their works in galleries and museums throughout the world and also receive grants, travel and residency awards. Many teach at schools, colleges and universities throughout this country and abroad. The strength of passion for what they do has allowed them to achieve Emmy’s for Special Effects in Television; awards in street painting in Italy and Holland; motion picture Key Art awards; awards of selection in international juried competitions, including the Biennale of Sidney; Istanbul Biennial; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Center for Creative Photography; Riverside Art Museum; NEUE GALERIE, Hannover, Germany; White Cube, London; Albright Knox Gallery of Art; Hood Museum of Art and even a portrait of the Pope by Mark Kostabi in Italy, October 2007.
Many others have created design studios and advertising agencies that employ from among the ranks of current students. The graphic novel stories of alumni have appeared in Nickelodeon Magazine, the Flight anthology, and in comics series published by DC and Dark Horse. Many more are currently working as animators, concept artists, CG supervisors and lighting dir