More than 60 student works to be featured in Sonoma State Juried Student Art Exhibition
ROHNERT PARK – The annual Juried Student Art Exhibition opens at the University Art Gallery on Nov. 13, showcasing the diverse vision and creativity of emerging Sonoma State University artists.
The work in this year’s exhibition was selected by two distinguished art professionals who brought complementary skills and expertise – and a shared connection to Sonoma State – to the assignment. Alumnae Kara L. de Lambert, curator at Imagery Estate Winery and art consultant at Lynae Arts, and Jennifer Shada, an artist and associate professor of art at Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Valley College, were tasked with reviewing the 99 pieces submitted for consideration.
The jurors selected 63 pieces to be included in the exhibition. The 36 student artists with works selected represent a range of SSU schools, majors, and programs, including Studio Art, Criminology, Art History, Anthropology, Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science.
In separate interviews, the two jurors described their anticipated approaches to curation of the show. From her time interning in the gallery as a student, de Lambert possesses deep familiarity with the University Art Gallery layout and a strong sense of how to make art shine in the space.
“As I am selecting work, I will be thinking ‘Where is this going to go? Is [the exhibition] going to be cohesive? Are there groups we can install together in the smaller room? Is there a big focal point?’” de Lambert explained.
Shada, who is both an artist and an art educator, said that beyond the visual appeal of the work, she is considering students’ “skill, concept, motive, and process.”
In a Nov. 6 juror talk, de Lambert and Shada described their respective academic and career paths and took questions from Sonoma State’s student artists.
After graduating from SSU in 2012 with a major in art history and a minor in arts management, de Lambert blazed an entrepreneurial trail, founding Lynae Arts, which offers studio assistant and business management services for artists. She is also the curator for Imagery Estate Winery, which is known for featuring original art on every bottle label.
Shada graduated from SSU with a B.F.A. in 2011, and after a brief foray into graphic design work went back to school at California College of the Arts for an M.F.A.
Both jurors offered encouragement and practical advice to the current generation of aspiring SSU artists.
“Try and do everything, and try all of the courses, even if it is not your type of art; my one regret from my time as a student is not exploring more beyond my painting classes,” Shada said. “I wish I did more ceramics and learned more about printmaking, especially now that those forms are starting to inform my painting practice.”
de Lambert said she hoped her experience would inspire students to be open-minded and expansive as they consider pathways in the arts.
“The options are endless,” she said. “I hope that sharing the different aspects of my career over the past 15 years can give students hope and inspiration that you can be successful in the arts in many different ways.”