CBU faculty art exhibit christens new campus gallery

Riverside, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2018) – The Rose Garden Gallery at California Baptist University was christened on Oct. 24 with a reception for its inaugural exhibit—“It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.”

The CBU Gallery relocated from downtown Riverside to the campus building formerly known as the Rose Garden Chapel. The interior of the building located on the northeast side of campus along Adams Street was remodeled to become a permanent home for the gallery.

The opening exhibit features work by fine art faculty from the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design (CAVAD). The display runs through Nov. 16, featuring  20 art pieces ranging from sculpture, ceramics, painting, mixed media and digital media. The gallery hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment on weekends.

Kristi Lippire, professor of fine art, created three geometric sculptures included in the exhibit. Lippire said the gallery will provide another avenue to display creative arts on campus. 

“It is nice to have more of a stage [on campus] to showcase faculty work, student work, along with outside programming,” Lippire said. “We hope that lots of students on campus come to find it an exciting and supportive experience to see and champion their peers and their hard work.”

Elisabeth Smith, an illustration junior, appreciated the new location of the gallery.

“I used to take classes in this building and they renovated it. I just think the space is cool,” Smith said.

Smith also said she enjoyed the variety of art in the show.

“I like how diverse the exhibit is, you get to see different approaches to different mediums,” she explained. 

Dr. Katherine Papineau, assistant dean of CAVAD, said the current exhibit is an opportunity for faculty to showcase their creativity.  

“All of our fine art faculty are professionals in their field and practicing artists,” Papineau said. “It is important for students who also want to become practicing artists to see what kind of work is being produced, and how professors are balancing their studio art life with their teaching schedule.”