Weekly Announcements April 4 - 10
Student Advising
Advising Appointments will continue taking place through winter quarter for all BFA students. Appointments with Major Advisor, Sara Frantz, can be made via Bookings.
Additionally, our Dept. Chair’s office hours are Mondays: 11am -12pm and Thursdays: 12 -1pm. Make an office hours appointment with Sara via Bookings. Drop-In appointments are also welcome. Email artdesign@calpoly.edu if you have any questions.
The CLA also offers virtual, drop-in advising appointments daily: CLA Advising
Upcoming Events
2025 Juried Student Exhibition
April 4th - 25th
We are thrilled to you invite you to the opening of 2025 Juried Student Exhibition
The juried student show is a time for the department to celebrate the art we make here by displaying it for Art and Design classmates and the public to view. Selected student work will be displayed in the gallery from April 4th through April 25th.
Many thanks to our invited juror, Nick Wilkinson, owner and director of Left Field Gallery. Wilkinson carefully reviewed many, many submissions, and was able to assemble a great range of selected work. As part of the jurying process, certain pieces were marked for awards in the categories of 2-D Studio, 3-D Studio & Sculpture, Graphic Design, Photography and Time-Based work.
Congratulations to our students-artists in exhibiting at the University Art Gallery:
Alexa Valenzuela
Ava Donaldson
Cailin Nicolich
Celeste Ibarra
Cezar Gomez
Chantal Medina
Christianna Gatti
Claire Chaussee
Delanie Johnson
Elizabeth Ridley
Emma LoNardo
Frank Cooke
Hayley Armstrong
Ilona Alves-Denes
Itzel Camarillo-Gonzalez
Jaclyn Broderson
Jacob Kwong
Jacquelyn Bostock
Jenni Martinez
Jennifer Leo
Jess Norris
Jillian Brander
Karly Fernandez
Kelli Ayon
Kevin Elliott
Kyra Oh
Léa Bourges-Sevenier
Lillian Turinsky
Lucas Vergara
Luci Brendlinger
Mairi O'Toole
Maren Gunderson
Maya Benham
Owen Isachsen
Romy Vanden Heuvel
Ryan Patterson
Sage Kessler
Sarah Tarquin
Shrishti Dutta
Sophia Levin
Stella Bertoldo
Valerie Legates
Victorine Phillipe
The University Art Gallery will be open Tuesdays through Saturday, 11am-4pm. As always, the gallery is free and open to the public.
Writers-at-Work Reading
Tuesday, April 8th at 4:10 in Phillips Hall (Building 06), Room 124
New Yorker cartoonist and graphic memoirist Amy Kurzweil will read from her book Artificial: A Love Story, which recounts her experience helping her father—renowned inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil—as he attempts to build an AI chatbot from the writings of his deceased father Fred— an accomplished conductor and pianist from Vienna who fled the Nazis in 1938. Artificial was named a best book of 2023 by NPR, The New Yorker, and Kirkus, and won the Living Now Book Award. Amy was also invited to present her book as a TED Talk in 2024.
Graphic Memoir Student Workshop
Wednesday, April 9th from 4:10 - 6pm in Engineering West (Building 21), Room 206
Are you interested in graphic novels? Have you ever thought about how you might tell your own story? Join us for a workshop in graphic memoir with Amy Kurzweil—New Yorker cartoonist and graphic memoirist. In this workshop, students will learn visual storytelling techniques like sequencing and iconography while exploring how to develop compelling stories from their own lives. No drawing experience or materials needed! Space is limited so please sign-up here.
Amy Kurzweil is a New Yorker cartoonist and the author of two award-winning graphic memoirs: Artificial: A Love Story and Flying Couch: A Graphic Memoir. Her four-part series for The Believer magazine, “Technofeelia,” was nominated for a Reuben Award and an Ignatz Award. Amy has received fellowships from The American Academy in Berlin and Black Mountain Institute, and has done residencies at Macdowell, Yaddo, and Djerassi. Her work has been published in The Verge, The New York Times Book Review, The LA Times, Wired and many other places. She has taught writing and cartooning widely for over a decade.
.RAW Annual Magazine Launch Party
Thursday, April 10th from 6 - 8pm at Linnaea's Cafe
Our annual magazine launch party will be Thursday, April 10th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Linnaea's Cafe. There will be live music and baked goods; first come, first served.
.RAW will have its quarterly meeting on Friday, April 11th at 1:00 pm in the Photo Lab at Dexter. .RAW is for any Art & Design students that are interested in joining our design team, media team, and event team. We also need a photo major to become our event photographer.
Department News
Graphic Design Students Nominated for the Paperboard Packaging Alliance Scholarship
For the Paperboard Packaging Alliance Scholarship this year, Linh Dao has nominated six students for their hard work and professional practice in the previous quarter’s Graphic Design Studio III class. Please see the following list for awardees:
Sophia Levin
Jacob Crook
Cesar Aldama
Kevin Elliott
Sara Isabela Cordovez
Joe Alan Rowley
They have joined a long list of our students that have received supports from the PPA.
They have been notified by the organization. Each student should receive $500. Congratulations!
ADRC Spring Schedule
Monday: 8:00 - 11:00, 2:00-4:00*
Tuesday: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00 - 11:00, 2:00-4:00*
Thursday: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Friday: By Appointment* (contact sfrisch@calpoly.edu)*
For help outside these hours see *Eric (ADRC MW 11-2pm, or room 153) or *Sheryl (room 141).
See ADRC Books at: https://www.libib.com/u/adrc
Job Opportunities
Check out MustangJobs for current job opportunities
Clubs
Animation Club - @calpolyanimation
Design Lab - @Designlab_CalPoly
Fiber Arts Club - @Calpolyfiberarts
.RAW Journal of Art & Design - @artmag.raw
Studio Art Club - @Calpolystudioartclub
Club 34 - @club.thirtyfour
Other Opportunities
Request for Proposals: 2025 Box Art Program – 15th Anniversary Edition - LIVE NOW!!
The City of San Luis Obispo is pleased to invite local artists to apply for the 2025 Box Art Program, a celebrated initiative that transforms utility boxes into vibrant public artworks. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the program and by the end of the season our community will have 75 works of art to enjoy!
2025 Box Art Program Details
- 20 utility boxes will receive new artwork (18 due for deaccession and rotation, 2 currently empty).
- ONE single Request for Proposals (RFP) will cover all 20 designs. The City will not be hosting a second round of proposal requests this year.
- Application Period: NOW – May 16, 2025.
- Eligibility: Open to individual artists, artist teams, and community groups with a designated lead artist. There is no age limit.
- Technical Requirements: Any artwork that can be photographed or digitized is eligible for installation as a high-quality vinyl wrap, allowing for diverse creative expression.
New for 2025: Explore SLO’s Districts
As part of this anniversary year, we encourage artists to explore and draw inspiration from San Luis Obispo’s unique districts and neighborhoods. Artwork will be categorized by district:
- Chinatown Historic
- Downtown Historic
- Mill Street Historic
- Old Town Historic
- Railroad Historic
- Outlying Areas
For further details on each district, including application guidelines, jury expectations, and utility box locations and specifics, please refer to the 2025 Box Art RFP.
New for 2025: Artist Resources & Support
- Online tutorials will be available to guide applicants through the process. Look for the tutorials on the Box Art Program website in April 2025.
- Box Art Application Support Workshop: An in-person opportunity to receive support photographing your artwork(s), merging your digital artwork with the application template and completing the application. This FREE event will be April 30, 2025, at the Library Community Room. Register to attend beginning April 1, 2025, on the Box Art Program website.
New for 2025: 15th Anniversary Celebrations
The City will be hosting a series of events throughout the year, including:
- Box Art Scavenger Hunt (Launching June 2025).
- Monthly Box Art Tours (June – September 2025).
- Meet the Box Artists Event (October 4, 2025, details TBA).
- Limited-edition 15th Anniversary Box Art Swag.
We invite you to be part of this exciting opportunity to enhance public spaces, reflect the diverse identities of our community, and celebrate the City’s artistic heritage.
The RFP is available NOW!
For more information or to apply, please visit Requests for Proposals or reach out with any questions.
We look forward to seeing your creative vision transform our community!
Art After Dark
April 4th from 5 - 8pm
Art After Dark is a self-guided art walk on the First Friday of each month that allows the community to experience visual, literary, and performing art in SLO County in galleries, non-profit organizations, and other businesses. This event is free and open to all! Are you interested in being a part of this event? Email SLO County Arts Programs Coordinator Summer at summer.truschke@slocountyarts.org to discuss options for participation.
2025 Design Competition
We are thrilled to announce the opening of our prestigious 2025 Design competition here at Communication Arts! Today, I’m reaching out to extend a warm invitation for you to submit your outstanding work to one of the most respected design competitions in the world.
The winning entries, featured in our beautiful Design Annual, garner recognition from our expansive international audience of over 30,000 individuals, many of whom are leading creatives actively seeking fresh professional connections. Moreover, inclusion in Communication Arts magazine grants your work a place among the illustrious archive of visual communications excellence spanning over 65 years.
Mark your calendars—the deadline for the Design competition is Friday, May 2nd!
For comprehensive competition guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit: commarts.com/competition/2025-design.
Should you require further information, feel free to reach out to me directly at laurenc@commarts.com.
Our esteemed international jury eagerly anticipates the opportunity to review your submissions!
More Quick Links
Faculty & Staff at Art & Design
ART Minors - Art History, Studio Art, Photo+Video, MAST and CIA Minors
Campus Map of All Gender Restrooms! - More on the campus Inclusive Restroom Program
Want your event or activity included in our Weekly Announcements?
Announcements are sent to members of the Art and Design Department each week while classes are in session. To submit an event or news item, please email information to Paula Rygg (pyrgg@calpoly.edu), by Friday at 8:00 am. Include title, date and time, participation information (Zoom link, registration, ticketing, fee, etc.), and a brief description. Small – email sized images may be included. Weekly announcements are approved by the chair before they are distributed.