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Downtown university art gallery debuts with faculty creations
art space pic 1
The opening exhibit at Art Space on Main will feature a collection of works created by California State University, Stanislaus faculty. - photo by Photo Contributed

The inaugural exhibit at the Art Space on Main will open today with a collection of works representing the recent creative endeavours of California State University, Stanislaus faculty.

The art gallery’s first exhibit, “Art Faculty on Main,” features 30 pieces created by the university’s faculty within the last two years. The collection represents a variety of mediums, from sculpture to oil paintings, to several utilizing mixed media.

“It’s a great representation of what the faculty has been doing,” said University Art Gallery Director Dean DeCocker. “The downtown space is giving us a whole new venue to share art with the community.”

The opening exhibit also will feature three art videos as part of the Building Imagination Center, which now will call the Art Space on Main home. The Building Imagination Center is a video arts exhibit space with a focus on the creation of new and original films in and about the Central Valley.

The three debut films are the creations of Professor and Center Director Jessica Gomula-Kruzic. One film delves into Modeto’s architecture, another highlights dance, and the third is an animation project.

The new gallery also will feature workspace for students in the university’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program and will give patrons an opportunity to see the creative process at work.

“We are excited to be able to offer the community so many different avenues into the arts through a single facility,” said Roxanne Robbin, chair of the Department of Art. “Our hope is that the gallery and studios will facilitate greater interaction between the community, the University and the arts.”

Art Space on Main is located at 135 W. Main St., in a historic building that has undergone significant renovation and restoration over the past year. The original hardwood flooring and brick walls have been reconditioned, and much of the new woodwork in the building was custom built from the original floor joists, which were removed during seismic retrofitting.

The gallery will be officially opened at 5 p.m. today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by university President Joseph F. Sheley. The grand opening coincides with  CSU Stanislaus Night at the Turlock Farmers’ Market.

“Many local residents come to campus to enjoy art, theater and music events, as well as sporting events,” Sheley said. “It gives us great pride to also be able to reach into our local communities in new ways and meet so many of our alumni and supporters.”