Weekly Announcements January 9 - 15
Student Advising
Advising Appointments will continue taking place through fall quarter for all BFA students. Appointments with Major Advisor, Sara Frantz, can be made via Calendly.
Additionally, our Dept. Chair’s office hours are Mondays: 11am -12pm and Thursdays: 12 -1pm. Make an office hours appointment with Sara via Calendly. 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
Department News
Inside Cal Poly’s 10-Foot Line Project
The 10-Foot Line assignment in Cal Poly’s introductory art courses challenges students to explore the element of line within architectural space. Beginning with 2D contrast designs on paper, students then manipulate and transform that same material into large-scale, 3D murals stretching up to 10 feet long, displayed throughout the Dexter Building. Reporter Sedona Harris spoke with art professor Travis Neel about the goals of the assignment and with student artist Riley Hauber about the inspiration and process behind her original design.
Design Lab: Virtual Talk with Michael Bierut
Tuesday, January 13th from 11am - 12pm in 34-150
Join us to hear and learn from a designer who has been in the industry for nearly 50 years. As a partner at legendary design firm Pentagram, Michael Bierut's clients include the Walt Disney Company, Verizon, Miller Coors, and Slack. Bierut's work has won many awards and is included in the collections of MoMA, Cooper Hewitt, and more museums. This is open to all years and concentrations.
Winter Quarter Add/Drop Deadline
Wednesday, January 14th is the last day to add, drop, or swap classes via Student Center with a permission number (7:59pm)
Take Immersive Narrative Design through LAES this Quarter
Before moving to semesters next year, the Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies program is offering one chance to take this special section of LAES 411 focused on Immersive Narrative Design. We are running this class in Winter Quarter to provide students access to an interesting design project with the Santa Barbara Zoo.
If you have any questions about what we’ll be doing in this workshop, please email the instructor, Dr. David Gillette (ddgillet@calpoly.edu) and he’ll get right back to you.
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This special section of LAES 411 satisfies any upper-level LAES Engineering or Liberal Arts concentration requirement and/or satisfies the LAES Global Perspectives requirement. This class can also satisfy ISLA upper-level course requirements for some of the media/design tracks, and can serve as an elective for many majors in the College of Liberal Arts. This class is for students interested in:
• Storytelling/Narrative
• Usability (UI/UX)
• Technical Art
• Cinema
• Live Performance
• Game Design
Job & Volunteer Opportunities
Photographer Needed for HIVE Sound Series - Visiting Artist Presentations 2026
We are looking for a photographer to document four special events taking place in the Expressive Technologies Studio in the Winter/Spring quarters. The position is paid and requires that someone to be available for all four of the events listed below. This is also an opportunity for someone who might be looking to do an independent study for credit. Please send a statement of interest and a CV to Dr. James Werner at jpwerner@calpoly.edu by January 16th.
Wednesday, January 28, 7–8PM - ox&öl Collective: Residency open studio
Thurs. Feb 5, 7:30pm - Playgrounds of Sound: Approaches to composition using games, everyday objects, and improvisation with special guests Barbara Nerness, Michele Cheng, Hassan Estakhrian
Tues. April 7, 2026, 7:30PM - Breaking the Mold: A Concert of Innovative Compositional Techniques with Special Guests Michiko Theurer and Rachel Beetz.
April 30, 2026, 7:30PM - Jarosław Kapuściński: Composing Intermedia - from Audiovisual Piano to VR
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
Cal Poly Opportunities
Annual Spring Quarter Art Event: GEMS Looking for Art Submissions
At GEMS (Gender Experiences, Monologues, and Stories), we hope to broadcast the voices of people with similar lived experiences and shared stories to create a sense of community and connection for our students. We are accepting both art submissions for our art gallery as well as submissions for performances (monologues, dance, or theatrical pieces). The theme for this year is Resisting Erasure. We are looking for pieces that explore themes of gender equity, resistance, visibility, and survival within social and political environments that marginalize gender-diverse communities. Submissions are open to any form of medium and are encouraged to reflect personal experience, collective memory, and/or imagined futures.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Monserrat Perez (mpere175@calpoly.edu)
Call for Art Submissions – Natural Resources Art Display, Spring 2026
An opportunity for Cal Poly students, faculty, and staff to participate in the upcoming Natural Resources Art Display, organized through the NRES LEAD Scholar Project.
This display, planned for Spring Quarter 2026, will showcase art inspired by themes of environmental science, sustainability, and natural resources—exploring the intersection of creativity and scientific inquiry. We welcome all art forms and hope to highlight the many ways art and science connect across our campus community.
Priority Deadline to Submit Art: January 19, 2026
Apply Here/Read for more information
For questions contact: bvasli@calpoly.edu
Climate Solutions Now
Are you interested in sustainability, climate action, and green careers?
Join Cal Poly's Initiative for Climate Leadership and Resilience for the fifth annual installment of Climate Solutions Now!
CSN is a 5-day, all-virtual conference from February 23-27 that features over 80 sessions detailing real-time climate solutions being implemented across sectors.
**Full-access tickets are only $15 for students, which is approx. 75% cheaper than tickets for the general public.
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 (prygg@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.