2026 MA | MFA Graduate Exhibition

2026 MA | MFA Graduate Exhibition
April 6 – May 7, 2026
Exhibition Reception & Open Studios: Saturday, May 2, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Special Reception: Saturday, April 11 from 12:00-3:00pm

 

It is a common curatorial practice to find an overarching theme when putting together an exhibition. But I did not find a singular theme arising from discussions with these graduating artists. Instead, I discovered that many of these students were asking themselves the same questions, “What does it mean to be an artist?” and “What does it mean to be an artist right now?” I observed many students pondering how to respond to our current times, even asking themselves if artmaking and joy are too frivolous in the present moment. Given the weight of world events, who can blame them?

 

But out of that questioning, I saw each graduating artist making a conscious choice to produce their work and share deeply personal aspects of themselves with others. I have seen them assert that their identities, observations, and lived experiences have value in a world that increasingly says they do not. My time with these graduating artists has reminded me that making art is never passive or neutral. It is a deliberate choice to think differently and challenge norms. It is a choice to be a producer of culture, and a choice to take on the responsibility of that role. 

 

- Holly Jerger, CSUN Art Galleries Director

 

Exhibition Artists: Caitlin Benson, Leon Cho, Cezar Cozianu, Shawn Dettenmaier, Estefania Farias, José Galván Martínez, mich Hatfield, Marilyn Hightower, Esther Levi, Xochitl Maturino, Robert Peterson, Susana Alexandra Radillo, Jann Louvise, Jess Rock, Luis Rafael Santiago Muñoz, Quincy Unseth, and Maria Elvira Vargas.

 

This exhibition and accompanying publication were made possible through generous support from the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication and the Dr. Galen and Jaleh Etemad Family Fund. Additional support provided by the Instructionally Related Activities Committee and the Arts Council for CSUN.