The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA) at Cal State San Bernardino invites you to its first-ever Community Day on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The public reception, which is free and open to the public, celebrates the opening of three new exhibitions.

“We hope to welcome students back to campus for the fall semester, and let everyone know we’re here, and we’re excited to share these three new exhibitions opening at the museum,” said Merry Scully, director of RAFFMA. “We want to share the arts and express that we are a resource for the college and larger community.”

The exhibitions “Día de los Muertos at Self Help Graphics,” Linda Vallejo’s “Brown Baroque: Object of Opulence,” and Tamara Cedré’s “A Space Between Us” all reflect art and artists significant in Southern California at this time.

“Each of our exhibitions this year are relevant to this region of California and the Inland Empire,” said Scully. “We hope people will come out to learn about the art and the cultures in this area.”

“Brown Baroque: Objects of Opulence” combines artist Linda Vallejo’s recent work with her interest in pop culture, Victorian aesthetics and her Chicano(x) heritage. “A Space Between Us” catalogs the work of artist and CSUSB lecturer, Tamara Cedré, and her public art project and community zine originally developed to help address the spread of COVID-19 in the Inland Empire at the height of the pandemic. “Día de Los Muertos at Self Help Graphics: A Cultural Legacy, Past, Present, and Future” features work from the East Los Angeles art center and internationally regarded silk screen atelier Self Help Graphics and Art.

Community Day at the museum will feature a variety of activities that are family-friendly and relevant to people of all ages, such as print making demonstrations, arts and crafts, prizes, refreshments and more.

“We want people to know that the museum is here for everyone and is a fun experience we can all engage in – that it can be fun as well as educational,” said Scully.

Rueyling Chuang, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, sees Community Day as an opportunity for the museum to showcase its many resources. “We hope this day will demonstrate how RAFFMA is the gem of our university, and that it’s here to connect with and serve the community,” she said.

Linda Vallejo: Brown Baroque 

Linda Vallejo’s recent work combines her interest in popular culture, statistical demographics, Victorian aesthetics and her Chicanx heritage in a new installation project titled “Brown Baroque: Objects of Opulence.” For decades, the artist has used her talent, factual information and references to popular culture to create disparate juxtapositions that can foster questions, prompt conclusions and call to action. Social and cultural issues like color, class, privilege, visibility and belonging are addressed from her perspective as a Chicana artist. 

“Brown Baroque: Objects of Opulence” began with researching the Gilded Age and her reflection upon questions such as, “Where were the Latinos in the 1900s? What was their place in the building of the nation? Are Latinos integral to the fabric of the American culture and economy? What is the data today?” She poses these questions and elicits others in a series of parlor settings, dioramas, works on paper and sculptural objects. This exhibition is sponsored through the generous support of the AltaMed Health Services.

Tamara Cedré: A Space Between Us

Begun under “Your Actions Save Lives,” a California statewide campaign to fight COVID-19, artist Tamara Cedré along with collaborators James M Dailey, Juan Carrillo-Dominguez and Adrian Metoyer III worked with members of the San Bernardino community to bring forward people’s stories, reveal individual truths, and highlight the community’s struggle though unprecedented times. What began as a public art project to provide community resources and increase education to help stop the spread of the virus, has since evolved to be a community centered zine, “The Space.” The exhibition includes photography, video, audio stories and a special issue of “The Space” zine.

Dia de Los Muertos at Self Help Graphics: A Cultural Legacy, Past, Present, and Future

Originally organized as part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Latin America and Latino Art in LA, a 2018 Getty initiative, this exhibition centers around Self Help Graphics, the internationally regarded silk screen atelier located in East Los Angeles. Since 1972 Self Help Graphics has celebrated Dia de Los Muertos as a form of creative celebration, community building and advocacy. Centered around the history of the celebration at Self Help Graphics, the exhibition featuring prints, photographic documentation and ephemera from the past five decades.

For more information about these exhibition or Community Day, please contact RAFFMA at raffma@csusb.edu.

About RAFFMA

The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, serves a dual mission to exhibit and collect both ancient and contemporary art. It hosts temporary exhibitions throughout the year. Located at California State University, San Bernardino, RAFFMA presents one of the largest public displays of ancient Egyptian art in Southern California.

The museum offers a variety of opportunities providing valuable hands-on work experience and preparation for future museum-related careers for CSUSB students. It is also a great museum for K-12 school field trips. When you visit RAFFMA, you find it’s more than a museum – it’s an unforgettable experience.

The museum is open to the public free of charge Monday – Thursday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with extended hours Wednesday and Thursday evenings till 6 p.m., and Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Suggested donation is $3. Parking at Cal State San Bernardino is $3-6 per vehicle, depending on duration ($3 on weekends).