College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

VPA Visiting Artist Series

The Visual & Public Art Department’s Visiting Artist Series provides a forum for engagement and dialog with emerging and established figures in contemporary art and culture through a three-day mini-residency that includes a public lecture, workshop with students, and studio visits where students receive advice, exposure to professional opinions, and one-on-one creative criticism and feedback.

Each semester, the Visual & Public Art Department ’s Visiting Artist Series brings to campus prominent artists and scholars to give free, public on-campus presentations engaging our greater community, critique student work and participate in events, projects, and lectures.

VPA Visiting Artist Series Welcomes Krystal Ramirez

Join Us March 13, 2024, 6-8 pm for the VPA Visiting Artist Series as we present:  

The Spectacle of Sign: An Artist Lecture by Krystal Ramirez

About this Event:  "The Spectacle of a Sign" traces Krystal Ramirez's journey as an interdisciplinary artist and educator inspired by her explorations of light, color, and architecture, and the neon-clad desert of Las Vegas, Nevada.  This event is in conjunction with the Visual and Public Art program's Mentoring Artist and Artist in Residency Program, a three-day residency that includes the artist talk, workshop and portfolio reviews.  

About the Artist:  

Krystal Ramirez is an interdisciplinary artist and educator from Las Vegas, Nevada. Her practice focuses on our relationship with places of reverence and devotion. She analyses the symbolism and textures of the neon-clad desert of Las Vegas, observing light, color, architecture, and the spectacle for their sensory, experiential, and commanding presence. These explorations span media, including photography, painting, installation, sculpture, and fiber arts. She weaves private memories with collective cultural experiences to assemble narratives in which the intimate and communal are fused to explore more nuanced American experiences. She received her BFA in Photography and Studio Art from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada and her MFA in Art Practice from Stanford University. She has shown in museums and galleries throughout the United States, including the Nevada Museum of Art (Reno, NV), Barrick Museum of Art (Las Vegas, NV), NMSU Art Museum (Las Cruces, NM), SOMArts (San Francisco, CA), and Gallery 400 (Chicago, IL). Ramirez is currently based in Las Vegas

Website: https://www.krystalramirez.com/

All images courtesy of the artist 

 

Mentoring Artist Program Affiliated Events (all are free and open to all CSUMB students)

Krystal Ramirez Workshop

• Title: The Lifecycle of an Artwork
• Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024 
• Time: 10-11:50am
• Location: VPA Project Space (Building 70, rm. 111)
• RSVP Link: https://forms.gle/1xC3HZDAqRdRvrWEA

Workshop Description:  This interdisciplinary hands-on workshop covers the lifecycle of an Artwork in which we work together as a class to document a completed artwork. We place a significant emphasis on recording our process in written and photographic form. Documentation is vital in creating and preserving our art. A document is typically considered evidence supporting a fact. In art documentation, that "fact" is generally a given artwork and how it is remembered long after being removed from public view. For an artist, having an extensive catalog of their artwork is not only professional, but the organizational component allows artists to focus on other matters, such as making new work, applications, and making money! This workshop focuses primarily on creating supporting documentation for completed artworks such as photographs, videos, title cards, installation instructions, and cataloging artwork in an artist's archive. 

Portfolio Review:  Get Feedback on Your Portfolio 

• Date: Friday, March 15, 2024 
• Time:  Morning Session, 10-11 am & Afternoon Session 2-4 pm
• Location: VPA Building 72 Conference Room
• Register ASAP: email Juan Luna-Avin, jluna-avin@csumb.edu

Session 1: 10-11am*
PORTFOLIO REVIEW:  EDITING YOUR ART PORTFOLIO
Sometimes it’s difficult to be objective about your own artwork, so get help editing your portfolio. 
Come meet with MAP Visiting Artist, Krystal Ramirez, who will review your body of work and help edit your portfolio.
*To register for portfolio review: Space is limited, so sign up a.s.a.p. by emailing Juan Luna-Avin @ jluna-avin@csumb.edu.

Session 2: 2-4pm*
PORTFOLIO REVIEW: CREATIVE WORK FEEDBACK
Get creative feedback about the formal and conceptual elements of your artwork from a working artist.
Come meet with MAP Visiting Artist, Krystal Ramirez, for a creative dialogue. 
*To register for portfolio review: Space is limited, so sign up a.s.a.p. by emailing Juan Luna-Avin @ jluna-avin@csumb.edu.

 

About the Visiting Artist Series and Mentoring Artist Program (MAP)

Each semester, the Visual & Public Art Department’s Visiting Artist Series (VPA 302) brings to campus prominent artists and scholars to give free, public on-campus presentations engaging our greater community, critique student work and participate in events, projects, and lectures.

The Visual & Public Art program's Mentoring Artist Program provides a forum for engagement and dialogue with emerging and established figures in contemporary art and culture through a three-day mini-residency that includes a public lecture, workshop with Senior Capstone students, and studio visits where students receive advice, exposure to various professional options, and one-on-one creative criticism and feedback related to their artistic practice and studio work.