CSU East Bay’s Art Department is showcasing another selection of student artwork in the University Art Gallery, in conjunction with the departments 50th anniversary. Located on the first floor of the Arts & Education Building as part of the Annual Student Exhibition as of May 8, selected works by students were on display for the campus community to enjoy. 

When browsing through the gallery, an assorted array of delicate, emotional and experimental work showcased the talent available at CSUEB.

Works ranging from ceramics, multimedia, paintings, photography, paint drawings, among others, added to the eclectic exposition.

While the University Art Gallery has played host to several art exhibitions within recent months, curator Philip Ringler explained how this particular one is the department’s largest and most difficult to select and organize. In addition, this is the only exhibition that features the works of students regardless of major who have taken a class through the Art Department within the year.

The ceremony awarded scholarships to various students. The winning pieces were selected by outside jurors Kyle Milligan and Susan Cassentini, co-owners of Studio Quercus, a non-profit art gallery in Oakland.

So far the art exhibition has received a lot of positive feedback since its opening.  Ringler even said how some people have come up to him and told him that it’s one of the best student exhibitions the department has ever had.

One of the winners include Adriana Gonzalez, whose ceramics piece titled “…and you shall receive…” received the John Toki Award.

Gonzalez said she was overjoyed when she found out her piece, which is supposed to be a symbolic representation of her journey with spirituality, got selected for the art exhibition. She said she almost didn’t submit it but because of the meaning it had for her, yet said she did so at the lasy minute because she wanted to share it with everyone else.

“Although I am an art major, I was still extremely honored to receive the Toki Award because the sculpture major [option] was cut from our school once I started here,” she explained.
“I know I couldn’t get a major in sculpture anymore, but that didn’t stop my exploration with wax, bronze casting, body casting and different types of clay. I kept with my passion and thankfully it’s paying off.”

Another notable winner, Samantha Bruno received the Portfolio Award for her art book “Everybody Hurts,” who said the work is a reflection of a four-year period of when she dealt with depression. She didn’t decide to submit it for the exhibition until the day of the deadline for she originally felt ashamed of her piece.

“My goal is to make people interact with my art,” she said, when explaining the purpose of the gloves on display alongside the book.

Ringler hopes people with continue to visit the art gallery throughout to check out the Annual Student Exhibition.  He praises the jurors for curating and the students for their submissions.
The exhibition is open until the end of the Spring quarter.

The gallery exposes creative ability and pensive artistic thought by students soon embarking on a difficult journey, and many said they were glad to commemorate the notable students for their determination and passion for art.

“This year we had an exceptionally high amount of work accepted into the exhibition, which shows the strength of our current student body,” said Ringler. “We have some extremely talented young artists in our program right now.”