CAHSS Social Justice Colloquium

27th Annual Social Justice Colloquium Theme: Art Making as a Tool for Change, Bridging the Divide, and Community as a Path Forward

Our theme for the 27th Social Justice Colloquium is “Art Making as a Tool for Change, Bridging the Divide, and Community as a Path Forward” to highlight diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion through tangible actions that engage multiple forms and levels of creativity.

Drawing on the expertise of diverse scholars, university stakeholders, and community members, this year’s Social Justice Colloquium (SJC) draws on our commitment to positionality, intersectionality, storytelling, and the visual arts as a meaningful tool to explore DEAI initiatives. The 2024 SJC will include art making workshops as a framework for exploring our similarities and differences, and new ways of seeing and understanding structural systemic and societal injustices that are important to our communities. Social justice is a cultural necessity for organizational reform across cultural and educational sectors, and these workshops will support the theme Art Making as a Tool for Change, Bridging the Divide, and Community as a Path Forward.

We are excited to announce we are currently accepting an open call for artwork from CSUMB staff and faculty in conjunction with this year's event. The exhibition "DEAI Now!" will be a showcase of cultural diversity that promotes scholarship through social justice, community-engagement, and mentorship that is centered on diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI).

Schedule of Events: (full schedule to follow)

April 7-April 25, 2025: DEAI Now! Art Exhibition | Building 70, Project Space |

All events are Free & Open to the Public! See all event details below.

OPEN CALL FOR ARTWORK

EXHIBITION TITLE: DEAI Now! Art Exhibition
EXHIBITION DATES: April 7, 2025 through April 25, 2025
OPENING RECEPTION: April 10, 2025
LOCATION: VPA COMPLEX, Build. 70, Project Space
Artwork drop-off: March 24–March 25, 2025, 10am-5pm
Installation: March 26-March 28, 2025
De-installation: April 28, 2025, 10am-5pm
Entry is Free & Open to all CSUMB Staff & Faculty!
About Exhibition: DEAI Now! is a showcase of cultural diversity that promotes scholarship through social justice, community-engagement, and mentorship that is centered on diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI).

Drawing on the expertise of diverse scholars, university stakeholders, and community members, this year’s Social Justice Colloquium (SJC) draws on our commitment to positionality, intersectionality, storytelling, and the visual arts as a meaningful tool to explore DEAI initiatives. The 2024 SJC will include art making workshops as a framework for exploring our similarities and differences, and new ways of seeing and understanding structural systemic and societal injustices that are important to our communities. Social justice is a cultural necessity for organizational reform across cultural and educational sectors, and these workshops will support Art Making as a Tool for Change, Bridging the Divide, and Community as a Path Forward to highlight diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion through tangible actions that engage multiple forms and levels of creativity.

ELIGIBILITY: Must be CSUMB Staff or Faculty

REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES:
- Participation is open to all CSUMB staff and faculty members who would like to submit artwork for an exhibition that relates to this year’s Social Justice Colloquium theme (DEAI Now!). No portfolio required, just send an email expressing your interest to vpa@csumb.edu by Friday, February 14, 2024.
- Acceptable mediums: Drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and video.
- Size restrictions: Works no larger than 3x4’ (36x48 inches). All works must be ready to hang or ready for display (including any floor or pedestal pieces).
For ADA accommodations, questions, or general information, please contact, Associate Professor Dionicio Mendoza at dimendoza@csumb.edu.

26th Annual Social Justice Colloquium Acknowledgements

The 27th Annual Social Justice Colloquium is made possible in part through CSUMB Special Event Funding, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and partnerships & collaborations with:

College of Business
Humanities and Communication
Performing and Visual Arts
Psychology
Social, Behavioral Sciences and Global Studies
World Languages and Cultures

27th Annual Social Justice Colloquium Committee:
Angelica Muro, Phuong Nguyen, Estella Porras, Angie Tran.

More About the Social Justice Colloquium

The Social Justice Colloquium was initiated in 1997 by Dr. Gerald Shenk (US Historian) and Dr. Angie Tran (Political Economist) from the CAHSS School of Social, Behavioral, and Global Studies. It has grown to be a collaborative effort across the college spanning a week or more of guest speakers in keynote, plenary, public, and classroom workshops across the college community. The goals:

To combine teaching and scholarship in support of specific curricular offerings.
To address topics and issues uniquely significant to the diverse students, faculty, staff and administration at CSUMB and to our constituent communities in the Monterey Bay region.
To erase the artificial academic line that has been drawn between what is scholarly and what is personal.
To offer CSUMB students faculty and staff the opportunity to engage in scholarly conversation with recognized scholars and experts from outside the campus.
To invite all members of the CSUMB constituent communities to explore critically current issues of social justice in their historical, local, and global contexts.

This annual event has been funded each year since 1997 by the campus’ special events funding pool, coupled with contributions of staff and faculty time, talent and funds from campus departments. A dedicated fund would stabilize the funding for the event, thus enabling the campus to enhance its ability to bring thought leaders on the social justice issues of our time into conversation with campus and community members and afford focused guest lectures and workshops in our classes across the curriculum. Recent expansion of the program to be across the college and in multi-disciplinary venues and expressions realizes the college’s mission and enriches our contribution to the campus and community.

This event is part of the CAHSS Arts & Lectures Series, a wide range of events that includes guest artists and notable speakers as well as our renowned faculty.

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences