For the last week, I have had the honor and privilege of assisting and collaborating with a group of extraordinary students as part of California State University’s Summer Arts program: ART > ANTHROPOCENE < ACTION directed by my teaching colleague William Raines. As part of the two week curriculum, art historian Ron Graziani shared lectures on post-holocene art, land art and the historical development of art speaking to the current Anthropocene we are now living. Students learned about permaculture, local edible and medicinal plants and the concept of the Three Sisters Garden used by indigenous people from visiting artist Mark Cooley. Artist Julia Paull shared her powerful photographic project “Mother Natures’s Son” on her work documenting critically endangered frogs in captive breeding programs all over the world. Studio assistant and sculptor Michael Favagrossa led students on a land record survey creating 12”x12” plaster casts of Fresno State’s farm field north of campus. Students are creating work speaking to the Anthropocene in wide range of mediums and creative approaches including painting, sculpture, photography, collage, concrete casting, mixed media among many others which will culminate in a final exhibition student showcase opening Saturday, July 9th, 11 am at the Phebe Conley Art Gallery. #csusummerarts #artanthropocene #landart #fresnostateartanddesign #sculptureplasterofparis (at Fresno State Dept. of Art & Design) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfuoPLcPoQsUfKIxch9ZAAAjWcyMknfcJlljwk0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
