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The primary source of news and information about California State University, Dominguez Hills, its students, faculty, and staff.

Press Releases

CSUDH University Art Gallery Presents “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family” by Mario Ybarra, Jr.

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Installation view of “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family”
Installation view, “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family”

The University Art Gallery at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) proudly presents “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family,” an installation by Mario Ybarra, Jr. exploring mass incarceration. The exhibition will be on view September 30 through December 8, 2023; Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

The public is invited to an opening reception for “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family” on Saturday, September 30, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Using sculptural installation, Ybarra, Jr. explores the impact of mass incarceration on families and communities and the artist’s personal experience of watching a friend enter the prison system as a teenager. Using the metaphor of the family pizza establishment and its available pie sizes, the artist asks questions about the impact of incarceration on the individual and the circles of their communities. He does so using interview footage with a childhood friend who was incarcerated for thirty-two years. Ybarra uses scale images in the installation of Red West Pizzeria, the local Wilmington pizza restaurant that he and his friend ate at as children in the 1970s and 80s.

The University Art Gallery on the CSUDH campus, 1000 E. Victoria Street in Carson, is free and open to the public Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. Visit csudh.edu/visit-us for directions and a printable campus map. Daily permits in campus lots are $10 and sold at yellow kiosks in the lots.

About the Artist:

Mario Ybarra, Jr. has developed a prolific artistic practice that emanates from his upbringing, producing contemporary art that is filtered through his Mexican-American experience. Ybarra grew up in the greater Los Angeles-area and is one of a new generation of artists of Mexican descent that does not reject their American identity but embraces both trajectories in their background equally. Ybarra’s work operates as examinations of excluded social norms, often including complete environments, histories, and narratives.

Mario Ybarra Jr. was born in Los Angeles in 1973 and lives in Wilmington, California. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Otis College of Art and Design in 1999 and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine in 2001. One-person exhibitions of his work have been presented at the Boone Family Art Gallery at the Center for Arts, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA (2015); Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA (2013); Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA (2012). His work has been included in thematic exhibitions such as L.A. Exuberance: New Gifts by Artists, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (2016); Tastemakers & Earthshakers: Notes from Los Angeles Youth Culture, 1943-2016, Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College, Monterey Park, CA (2016). Made in L.A. 2012, organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LAXART, Los Angeles, CA (2012); Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (2008); The World as a Stage, Tate Modern, London, UK (2007); and the California Biennial, Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA (2006).

About the University Art Gallery

The CSUDH University Art Gallery serves the campus and broader community as a laboratory for contemporary art and design practices, presenting exhibitions and programming. The University Art Gallery is deeply committed to building a creative and innovative art and design culture that celebrates artists and engages audiences. For more information, visit gallery.csudh.edu.

CSUDH Recognized as a Top Performer in the 2023 Sustainable Campus Index

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Student walking near Science and Innovation building on campus.

CSUDH has been recognized as a top performer in the 2023 Sustainable Campus Index, securing the 4th position in the area of Investment & Finance, and as the top performer among Master’s institutions. A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top-performing sustainable colleges and universities overall and in 17 impact areas, as measured through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

As quoted in President Parham’s executive letter to AASHE supporting CSUDH’s submittal for STARS Gold: “For a university to jump from Bronze to Gold in five years is an unprecedented rise for any institution and is a testament to how sustainability has served as a powerful catalyst for all the things CSUDH already does well. I believe this latest STARS report highlights the levels to which our campus sustainability efforts have become a point of pride in our institution, as well as the strength of our campus commitment to ensure a better planet for all.”

CSUDH earned its top performer status in the Investment & Finance category specifically due to the proactive effort of the CSUDH Toro Auxiliary Partners (TAP) to build a socially responsible investment portfolio in managing CSUDH’s long-term financial assets. This included setting an investment policy integrating Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) values in managing campus investments and selecting outsourced investment firms based on their socially responsible investment objectives. This also includes transparent reporting on the proportion of its investment pool invested in sustainable and socially responsible funds.

“All of us at AASHE extend our warmest congratulations to CSUDH for their achievement,” applauded AASHE’s Executive Director, Meghan Fay Zahniser. “By fostering sustainable practices and initiatives, you set an inspiring example for your peers and future generations. Your efforts are a testament to the positive impact that institutions can make when they prioritize sustainability and take meaningful action. Keep up the outstanding work in creating a brighter, more sustainable future for all!”

CSUDH’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.

Getty Foundation Awards CSUDH $180,000 for Brackish Water Los Angeles

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Map showing geography of Southern California
1901 map (reprinted 1912), showing geography of southland from San Bernardino area to western edge of Los Angeles County, 1918.

(Carson, CA) The California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) University Art Gallery has been awarded $180,000 by the Getty Foundation for support of Brackish Water Los Angeles, co-directed by gallery director and co-curator Aandrea Stang and co-curator Debra Scacco.This art and research project is part of the Getty Foundation’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative and will culminate in a public-facing exhibition at the gallery next year, alongside a robust slate of programming, off-site activations, and a catalog. 

“We are very excited that CSUDH is participating in the PST ART initiative for the first time,” Stang said. “It is meaningful to be involved in such a wide-ranging multidisciplinary program.”

Brackish Water Los Angeles looks at the ecosystems, infrastructures, and politics surrounding brackish water, which refers to the space where salt and fresh waters meet. The project also considers the larger implications of “in-betweenness” which includes issues of access, inclusion, ecological racism, and cultural/class system interchanges along Los Angeles’ waterways. In the culminating exhibition, slated to open August 2024, visitors will be introduced to scientific content through an exploration of art and objects, offering an engaging experience that raises questions about inequality and ecological justice, prompting new and important conversations. Confirmed artworks to be displayed include selections from Catherine Opie’s Freeway Series, Alfredo Jaar’s Untitled Water (E), and Nancy Baker Cahill’s groundbreaking augmented reality work Mushroom Cloud LA / Proximities, with additional objects from the collections of the Autry Museum of the American West and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. 

The adjoining publication will capture several years of multi-layered research and expand the footprint of the Brackish Water Los Angeles exhibition. The book will help audiences better understand the relationship between brackish water and the city, and will weave research, writing, and art from scientists, artistic practitioners, and cultural workers, among other contributors.

Brackish Water will be on view at the University Art Gallery from August 12 to December 14, 2024 concurrent with the approximately 50 other exhibitions that will be presented around greater Southern California as part of The Getty Foundation’s PST ART. Launched in 2007, PST ART (formerly Pacific Standard Time) is Southern California’s landmark arts event. Dozens of cultural, scientific, and community organizations will join the latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, with exhibitions on subjects ranging from ancient cosmologies to Indigenous sci-fi, and from environmental justice to artificial intelligence. Art & Science Collide will share groundbreaking research, create indelible experiences for the public, and generate new ways of understanding our complex world. Art & Science Collide follows Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA (September 2017–January 2018), which presented a paradigm-shifting examination of Latin American and Latinx art, and Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945–1980 (October 2011–March 2012), which rewrote the history of the birth and impact of the L.A. art scene. 

This exhibition is made possible with support from Getty through its PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative. 

Logo text: PST ART

LA Opera Presents Free Live Simulcast of Verdi’s Otello on May 13

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Free live outdoor broadcasts: Verdi's Otello, conducted by James Conlon

Source: LA Opera

High-definition broadcast will be transmitted free of charge, live from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, to audiences at California State University, Dominguez Hills and at the Santa Monica Pier

(Los Angeles) April 11, 2023 — LA Opera will present a live simulcast of its opening night of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello for audiences at two outdoor locations. At 7:30pm on Saturday, May 13, 2023, LA Opera’s production of the towering operatic masterpiece will be transmitted live in high-definition video from nine cameras at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to large LED screens at California State University, Dominguez Hills and the Santa Monica Pier.

The performance will star tenor Russell Thomas, the company’s Artist in Residence, in the title role and will be conducted by Music Director James Conlon.

Through the generous support of Los Angeles County, LA Opera is able to present these simulcasts free of charge as a special gift to the community.

Otello will mark the ninth “Opera at the Beach” simulcast to the Santa Monica Pier. This will be the first time that LA Opera’s annual live simulcast will be experienced by audiences in the city of Carson, where “Opera on the Lawn” will take place on the North Lawn on the campus of CSUDH.

Since Otello is performed in Italian, the simulcasts will feature subtitles in both English and Spanish.

“Bring your friends, a blanket and picnic out to the Santa Monica Pier for a special night under the stars with the LA Opera for Verdi’s Otello,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, who represents the Third District where the Santa Monica Pier is located. “The simulcast brings the magic of opening night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to the beach, connecting more LA County communities to the power of opera. Our office is thrilled to be part of this beloved Third District tradition and unique LA experience.”

“Access to arts and culture programming has the power to transform lives,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who represents Los Angeles County’s Second District where CSUDH is located. “My office is proud to bring one of Verdi’s greatest operas, Otello, for all to enjoy freely and in our community. I applaud LA Opera for creatively working to make the arts more accessible throughout LA County.”

“I am honored and delighted that LA Opera has chosen to partner with our university on this unique event,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. “This simulcast is another opportunity for CSUDH to demonstrate that we are not only in the community, but of the community. Showcasing great instrumental and vocal performances is a fantastic occasion that brings people together in a positive way, using music as the catalyst. We look forward to future collaborations with LA Opera.”

Although no tickets are required for entrance, guests are encouraged to sign up in advance at LAOpera.org/OperaAtTheBeach or LAOpera.org/OperaOnTheLawn to get important information about parking and the latest updates, and to receive a free gift at the event plus a chance to win a three-opera ticket package.

Seating at both locations is general admission, and gates will open at 5:30pm. Attendees are advised to bring their own seating and to arrive early both for pre-performance picnicking and to secure the best viewing areas. There will be arts and crafts activities for families to enjoy before the simulcast begins. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed. Pets are not allowed.

Opera on the Lawn—California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson
For detailed information about the Carson simulcast, please visit LAOpera.org/OperaOnTheLawn. The North Lawn of CSUDH is located at 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747. Free parking is available.

Opera at the Beach—Santa Monica Pier
For detailed information about the Santa Monica Pier simulcast, please visit LAOpera.org/OperaAtTheBeach. The Santa Monica Pier is located at the western terminus of Colorado Avenue. Parking information can be found at SantaMonica.com/transportation/parking. Attendees can arrive by public transit, exiting the Metro Expo Line at the downtown Santa Monica station.

For more information about the Santa Monica Pier, please visit SantaMonicaPier.org.

About the Opera
Hailed as the pinnacle of the Italian operatic repertoire, Verdi’s 1887 operatic transformation of the original Shakespeare tragedy is a powerful drama of uncontrolled human emotion at its most extreme. (Otello is the Italian spelling for Othello.) Verdi’s musical portrait of a hero’s descent into a tortured heart of darkness is made explicit in every chilling detail as Otello is steadily manipulated into destroying all in life that he holds dear.

Conductor James Conlon takes command of the truly epic musical forces, featuring a gigantic orchestra and chorus, in a production created by acclaimed stage director John Cox. The powerhouse cast is led by Artist in Residence Russell Thomas in the title role (considered the “Mount Everest” of the dramatic tenor repertoire because of its incredibly daunting vocal and dramatic challenges). Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen makes a highly anticipated company debut as the doomed Desdemona and baritone Igor Golovatenko is the sadistic Iago, who takes delight in slyly exploiting Otello’s one fatal flaw: jealousy.

For additional information about the production, please visit LAOpera.org/Otello.

To download artist headshots and production photographs, click here.

About LA Opera
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. The company also offers a multitude of online content via its LA Opera On Now digital offerings, which launched in 2020. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

LA Opera’s production of Otello made possible by generous support from
GRoW @ Annenberg
Barbara Augusta Teichert

With special additional support from
National Endowment for the Arts
The Norman and Sadie Lee Foundation

With special appreciation to
Gregory and Régina Annenberg Weingarten

LA Opera’s Opera at the Beach made possible with generous support from
Los Angeles County and Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath

LA Opera’s Opera on the Lawn made possible with generous support from
Los Angeles County and Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by
Terri and Jerry Kohl

LA Opera’s 2022/23 season generously underwritten by
GRoW @ Annenberg

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.

CSUDH Office Hours Presents “Seen” Art Exhibition

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Person wearing bedazzled mask with a bright yellow background

Seen, the third exhibition at the Office Hours art space, is on view until May 11 in LaCorte Hall B116.

The opening reception is Thursday, April 6, from 5-7 p.m.

Seen is an invitation to consider queerness in all its expressions. The works in the exhibition bear witness to the intricacies and wide spectrum of queer identities and way of embodying queer bodies. From quiet and introspective works, to both explicit and intimate manners of seeing one another, the works and artists in this exhibition celebrate queer community and kinship.

Seen brings together current CSUDH Art and Design students: em aguilar, Mylee Etuale, Gabe Medina and Birdie Rojo, along with recent graduates Vanessa Vilaboa-Patiño, Jynx Prado and Izzy Rimando, and established artists Xandra Ibarra and Amina Cruz. The exhibition features works on paper, sculpture, video, ceramics, painting, photography and textile installation.

Seen is co-curated by Gabe Medina, Birdie Rojo, and Jimena Sarno in collaboration with the CSUDH Queer Culture & Resource Center. Both Gabe Medina and Birdie Rojo are current CSUDH Art and Design students graduating in May 2023.

Born and based in South Central, Los Angeles, Gabe Medina is a Mexican American multi-disciplinary artist and organizer. Much of his work challenges racist and classist narratives about lower income communities. Informed by his own family history and his relationship to his home in South Central, Medina has been reconstructing symbols of local plant life and wrought iron fence motifs, prominent symbols in his familiar neighborhood. He utilizes a variety of media including ceramics, photo transfers, and paintings to uplift and deepen his evolving connection to South Central.

Birdie Rojo is a queer, Mexican American, interdisciplinary artist and organizer from Compton, California. Their work celebrates Mexican culture while addressing its inherent machismo culture, homophobia and the erasure of indigenous people. They draw inspiration from folklore and their childhood memories to recreate those environments through installation, sound ceramics and painting.

As part of the opening reception, Professor Kellan King’s 3D Design class will feature a series of illuminated sculptures in the outdoor area that will remain onsite until April 11.

Office Hours is an independent artist-run space housed within the Department of Art and Design at California State University Dominguez Hills. The space was founded by CSUDH Assistant Professor Jimena Sarno to bring together works by current and past CSUDH students with the arts community in greater Los Angeles and beyond. Office Hours’ last exhibition, Insistent, was written about by CSUDH Lecturer of Labor Studies Matthew McGarvey. Read his piece on the Office Hours website.