Although many students probably wish they could end their freshman year in college with fireworks and a round of applause, Ruben Garcia got to do just that. The music major at California State University, Dominguez Hills was selected to perform “The Star Spangled Banner” at the start of a Major League Soccer game at the Home Depot Center last May. Marketing the match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City was an internship program for two business administration students, Melissa Velasco and Robert Aragon. (Click here for story in Dominguez Today.) They created a “Toro Night” event for students and alumni, with special seating and university participation in pre-game ... Read More
Art and Design
Paul Koudounaris: Art Historian’s Book Explores Bare Bones of Human Faith
After completing his doctorate in art history at UCLA, California State University, Dominguez Hills Art and Design Department lecturer Paul Koudounaris decided to travel a bit. One of his destinations was Melnik, a city near Prague in the Czech Republic, where he visited “The Bone Church,” a 16th ossuary where the skeletal remains of approximately 10,000 people have been meticulously crafted into architectural elements and symbols of the Christian faith. “It's an extraordinary place, because it's very well-arranged with this sophisticated iconography about the Resurrection and salvation,” says Koudounaris. “I spent about three or four hours down there, taking notes about the ... Read More
CSU Dominguez Hills Unveils Final Commemorative Painting for 50th Anniversary
On August 22, artist Alexey Steele and President Mildred García unveiled the fourth and final artwork created for the 50th anniversary of California State University, Dominguez Hills, which concluded in May. “Learners of Dominguez: Howard, Jenika, Auburn, Chris, Ronald” was painted this summer and depicts five CSU Dominguez Hills students, ranging from the oldest student –Howard Christiansen, who is 80–to the youngest–Auburn Hightower, who is 17. Also featured in the painting are Jenika Miller, Chris Barnette and Ronald Farol. Steele, a Russian American painter based in Carson, painted “Learners” in a series of live sessions with the students. He said that one thing that surprised him ... Read More
Art Alumni Plant Seeds of Creativity in Bonita Street Elementary’s Garden
When students at Bonita Street Elementary School in Carson return to classes this fall, they will not only notice new growth in the school's vegetable garden, but also an artistic embellishment to the garden's tool shed. A mural of butterflies and bees in a sunlit setting now adorns the shed thanks to California State University, Dominguez Hills Department of Art alumni. Teri Ito Abbott, director of the university's Center for Teaching Careers, often sends liberal arts students to Bonita Street as volunteer teacher aides. When one of the teachers asked her if she could organize Dominguez Hills students to paint murals at the school, she approached assistant professor of art Jim ... Read More
“Wrapped in Pride” Exhibition of African Kente Cloth to Show in University Art Gallery Sept. 7-Oct. 18
The brightly colored, geometrically patterned cloth called kente–made by the Asante (uh SAHN tee) people of Ghana and the Ewe (AY vay) people of Ghana and Togo–is the best known of all African textiles. In African American communities across the nation, kente is much more than mere cloth: it is a symbol of African pride and a powerful cultural icon. “Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity,” an exhibition at the California State University, Dominguez Hills University Art Gallery from September 7 to October 18, explores the art of making kente, its symbolism in the cultures of Africa, and its expression of identity in African American communities. Also on display ... Read More
