California College of the Arts Presents the 2023 MFA Graduating Class Exhibition at The Wattis Institute
The two-part exhibition debuts work from 32 emerging artists in CCA’s graduating program in fine arts.
San Francisco, CA—March 6, 2023—On Thursday, March 16, a new, two-part exhibition featuring work by 32 emerging artists from the California College of the Arts (CCA) graduate program in fine arts opens at the CCA Wattis Institute, located at 360 Kansas Street in San Francisco. The annual exhibition provides the MFA graduating students the opportunity to present their work at an internationally-acclaimed gallery, The Wattis.
Organized by CCA faculty member Glen Helfand, along with faculty members Susanne Cockrell, Aaron Gach, and Ranu Mukherjee, the exhibition features work across multiple mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, textiles, digital video, augmented reality, and social practices. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Part 1 is on view from March 16 to 30, and Part 2 will be on view from April 6 to 20. There are opening receptions for each exhibition.
"The MFA exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for the graduating artists to show their work in a professional setting, as well as for the public to discover emerging talents," says Helfand. "The 2023 MFA graduating class is made up of a diverse and talented group of individuals. This is their launching pad, and both shows will be full of the vibrant energy of a public debut. We encourage you to visit both presentations."
Exhibition details
Location: CCA Wattis Institute, 360 Kansas Street, San Francisco
Free and open to the public
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, noon–6 pm
Exhibition one
March 16–30, 2023
Opening reception: Thursday, March 16, 5–8 pm
Featuring: Jianyuan Ding, Annie Duncan, Claire Dunn, Gwendolyn Kim, Talia Kirsh, Charles Lee, Eric Lum, Siyu Lyu, Gabrielle Medina, Hannah Fhaye Oliver, Eileen Parent, Rossie, Manasa Thimmiya, Jianfei Wang, Qinru Xie, and Echo Zhang.
Exhibition two
April 6–20, 2023
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 6, 5–8 pm
Featuring: Mary Campbell, Carolina Cuevas, Dance Doyle, Zijing Han, Ingrid Henderson, Ye Il Kim, Blanche Li, Merryta Liu, Robert Lu, Diana Mejia, Namita Paul, Tina Tan, Yiliu Teng, Aster Topolski, Marissa Tyler, and Lin Wang.
About California College of the Arts
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) is an ambitious art and design school that educates students to shape culture and society through the practice and critical study of art, architecture, design, and writing. Located in the design center of San Francisco, the college prepares students for lifelong creative work by cultivating innovation, community engagement, and social and environmental responsibility.
CCA recently unified its two campuses, bringing together its academic and residential programs in one vibrant urban neighborhood hub. The college is in the construction phase of a new building designed by the award-winning architecture firm Studio Gang. This new building will create new adjacencies and interactions while inviting yet-to-be-discovered modes of making, teaching, and learning.
The college offers 22 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs in the areas of fine arts, architecture, design, and writing. CCA enrolls students from 41 countries and 43 states and is ranked among the top 25 most diverse colleges in the U.S.
CCA faculty are accomplished educators, academics, practitioners, and researchers with a breadth and depth of expertise that inspires students to take creative risks in the pursuit of purposeful work.
Noted alumni include the artists Nathan Oliveira, Jules de Balincourt, Robert Arneson, Robert Bechtle, Viola Frey, and Peter Voulkos; the Oscar-winning filmmaker Audrey Marrs; the illustrator Tomie de Paola; conceptual artists Hank Willis Thomas, David Ireland, and Dennis Oppenheim; and the designers Lucille Tenazas, Michael Vanderbyl, and Gary Hutton.