CCA News
CCA Presents the 2009 MFA Exhibition
Posted on Monday, March 16, 2009, by Brenda Tucker
California College of the Arts will present its 2009 MFA Exhibition from Thursday, May 7, through Saturday, May 16 (10 a.m.–7:30 p.m. daily), with an opening reception on May 7 from 6–9 p.m. The exhibition features projects by nearly 50 artists graduating this spring from the college's master of fine arts program. The presentation unfolds throughout CCA's San Francisco campus, giving visitors an opportunity to tour most of the college. The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public.
Bay Area art schools have become increasingly visible in recent years as more and more nationally and internationally renowned artists emerge from their ranks. This exhibition is a unique opportunity for the public to see new and compelling student work that is expanding the boundaries of photography, painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, video, installation, animation, digital media, and various combinations thereof. It is organized by faculty member and critic Glen Helfand, who says, "The presentation allows the rich range of work to be in conversation. The show will really express the dynamic qualities of CCA's artistic community."
The featured works address a wide range of subjects and issues that stem from a world in transition. One artist considers the 1970s-era ecology movement and contemporary green imperatives, creating works that utilize packaging, both plastic and biodegradable. Another is creating a large mural depicting climate change and honoring lost figures such as Amelia Earhart. Yet another has created a shop with an affordable line of goods that alludes to both outsourced manufacturing in China and contemporary craft. An artist-made audio tour featuring original songs will offer insights into the works and the people who made them. All of the artists show a deft handling of materials, from the industrial and machine made to the obsessively hand crafted.
Images and interviews with the artists are available upon request.
Visit CCA's graduate website to view an online catalog of student work from each program.
About California College of the Arts
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts is noted for the interdisciplinarity and breadth of its programs. It offers studies in 20 undergraduate and seven graduate majors in the areas of fine arts, architecture, design, and writing. The college offers bachelor of architecture, bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, master of architecture, master of arts, master of fine arts, and master of business administration degrees. With campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, CCA currently enrolls more than 1,600 full-time students. Noted alumni include the painters Nathan Oliveira and Raymond Saunders; the ceramicists Robert Arneson, Viola Frey, and Peter Voulkos; the filmmaker Wayne Wang; the conceptual artists David Ireland and Dennis Oppenheim; and the designers Lucille Tenazas and Michael Vanderbyl.