The California State University, East Bay School of Arts and Media, on Saturday, will hold the opening reception to art collection Connections III: CSU East Bay Alumni & Student Exhibition at the Bankhead Theater’s gallery in the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center.

The exhibition, which has been running since Sept. 2, will hold the reception during the Artwalk festival in downtown Livermore on Saturday, Oct. 11.

This is the third exhibition in the Connections series, and features artwork from 12 students and alumni invited to participate by the CSUEB faculty and staff. While many students’ work is shown on-campus in galleries and shows, this gives them the opportunity to be featured at a prestigious off-campus art event like Artwalk.

The event’s curator, Linda Ryan, on Tuesday, received the Alameda County Arts Commission Arts Leadership Award, being recognized for her “commitment to enhancing the quality of life in Alameda County and for providing leadership in the arts,” according to Alameda County Office of Education’s Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership.

Ryan represented District 1, encompassing the Livermore area, and six others representing five total districts were honored during Tuesday’s ceremony.

“Everybody that got up to get the award had really done a lot of work,” said Ryan, “You can’t really rely on one person to change your whole art community. One person can make a difference.”

CSUEB artists Justin Pastores, Laura Cline, Shukuko Heinzen, Jena Scholten and more will be on-hand at Saturday’s event to answer any questions and to give more information about the pieces being shown.

This is the first time in its three-year existence that the Connections show will be featured at this location. “One of the reasons we thought it would be a good fit is that we try to feature some type of local arts instruction group, or group of art students,” said Ryan.

Past student exhibitions at Livermore’s Artwalk have included San Francisco Art Academy, local art teachers and other educational groups.

Ryan feels that it is necessary to give students and beginning artists hope that they can make a living for themselves in the arts.

“It’s important to have something about a future in the arts,” said Ryan. “A lot of the time, when you’re a young artist, you don’t hear a lot of approval about doing the arts as a living.”

“I think that encouraging young artists to continue is really important… This is what they’re made to do.”

The CSUEB art gallery is extending their reach into Livermore, reaching and connecting with a new audience.

Livermore, known for its wine and farm culture, is also home to a diverse arts center.

“[Livermore] is kind of divided up.” said Ryan, “If you want something to be in a winery show, it’s kind of a different setup than if you wanted to be in the downtown art studios or the Bankhead Theater.”

Artwalk is a festival that takes over the streets and other areas of downtown Livermore where over 150 local artists will be displaying their work.

“It’s a growing arts culture,” said Ryan. “Especially over the last 10 years.”

Live music will be on hand, as musicians will perform in the downtown area throughout the festival. “Empty Bowl Project” will also be included in Saturday’s event. The student-painted ceramic bowls are sold as part of an effort to provide food for Open Heart Kitchen, a Livermore-based free hot food service for the hungry.

The Connections III’s opening ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Bankhead Theater gallery from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and runs through Nov. 2.