Making Community: a commemorative CCA experience

When I worked for the First Year Program, we won a gift card prize for our immersive TRON themed display for the annual staff Halloween contest. I used that gift card to buy my first ukulele. It has since become my favorite instrument to play and now I own nine of them! Though I don't play it often anymore, that first ukulele will always hold a special place in my heart. Being recognized for my creativity at CCA opened the door to deeper creativity in my own practice.

If I could offer my perspective, my way of seeing, to this project I would but for now I will stick with the star glasses. For me personally, these are glasses I have worn while writing out my 300 Desires for Fine Arts during visioning work with our Dean Sunny Smith prior to more formalized goal-setting. Injecting a bit of fun into your day is serious business. Many Fine Arts Chairs and Staff have worn them for various dancing shenanigans. If you are curious to see them in action there is footage on our Fine Arts IG (@ccafinearts). Drop a heart and give us a follow to see what else we may be up to and learn how to join in the fun.

I have emails from Tirza True Latimer from exactly one decade ago, inviting me to visit CCA, sit in on classes, attend a lecture, have dinner with her and the rest of the Visual and Critical Studies crew. Those emails are my first touchpoint with CCA. This pin is a reminder that Tirza and her colleagues invited me into a community that’s become enormously important to me, both personally and professionally. While Tirza has left CCA, I’m still here as an alum and current staff member, hoping to make the college feel like home to new generations.

As a student from India, my mother's (ma) 'mettelu' (toe-ring) featured prominently in all my work at CCA, including my paintings, performances, and videos. I wore two, one on each ring finger. This particular mettelu, my object to share, served as a source of moral support while I was away from home, providing a constant sense of comfort, almost like an ever-present hug. They also inspired the primary themes of my practice at CCA and beyond—motherhood, care, support, and labor.

In the kitchen of Meyer library I looked over and saw an eye looking back at me. A googly eye had been stuck into a small opening in the wall. A joyful surprise. As I looked closer, more eyes peeked out at me from the concrete wall. Later while packing up the library in Oakland- I found this small tin in the supply cupboard- full of googly eyes.

Working here I’ve found art everywhere.

This school, this campus, is a place we share, and as we make it our own, it also leaves its imprint on us.

I made this tiny sculpture out of an opened coquina shell found in the Gulf coast beaches of my home-state of Florida and a smooth pebble found on a beach in the Pacific coast in California. At CCA, I see how we all take small pieces of where we're from and what we love and create beautiful art from these elements of ourselves.

This object is made of fabric scraps and pieces that I saved during my time at CCA so far, and it is important because it represents how coming to CCA led to me meeting friends that bring some joy and fun into my life and something to look forward to. The bright colors represents the feelings when I'm with them and the heart is my appreciation and care for them.

I decided to make a butterfly because throughout my experience at CCA the biggest reward has been coming out of my shell, discovering things about myself, my interests and my craft. In a way I believe that the metamorphosis cycle of the butterfly describes how I have evolved as a person and professional at CCA.

My collage reflects a constant state of change and evolution. This speaks to me, to CCA, and my relationship with CCA. Every year something is different, something is always changing and that is a constant in our lives.

De Anza College was a stepping stone in my life before I transferred to CCA. During those times as a new overseas student, I often wandered through the corridors, imaged what my future might hold. While I was there, feelings of being lost and directionless filled me with uncertainty about the future. A few months later, after decided that my next destination would be CCA, the anticipation of a new life reignited my spirit like a beam of light. I took this photo on an afternoon after class and transformed it into a cyanotype.

These origami flowers represent my first week at CCA, filled with excitement and curiosity. During Chimera Welcome Week, my first gift from CCA was a tote bag that read "Find Where You Belong," along with a visitor sticker and a couple of CCA pins. These small tokens hold a special place in my memory, so I’ve folded them into an origami flower to symbolize the start of this new chapter. Though I’ve only been at CCA for a month, I already feel myself growing and beginning to find where I belong.

1. Lexar SILVER Series Professional 1667x 64GB UHS-II SDXC Memory Card

2. "MAIL-a-COMPLIMENT" project

3. "LET'S MAKE THIS A PRIVATE MOMENT" pin

The Secret of the Ninth Planet is the 2009 final thesis exhibition presented by students in the Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice. This catalogue represents the culmination of my education at CCA and serves as a recognition of the struggle, creativity, negotiation, and care that goes into the work of a curator. The show takes its title from a 1959 Donald A. Wollheim novel of the same name. In the book, evil colonialist curators display in vitrines captured members of intergalactic cultures. My cohort sought to operate counter to this model of the curator as authoritarian cultural anthropologist. Plus the spine glows in the dark!

My old name tag and Chimera keychain remind me of the shared, intertwined history I have with CCA. When asked who works, teaches, and studies at CCA, I liken it to choosing a seminary—for creatives. It’s a place for those who push the boundaries of possibility, thrive on the edge of creativity, and embody the creative accord. Our mascot, the Chimera—a mythical creature of conflicting parts—beautifully reflects CCA’s diverse, imaginative community. Though its origins are mysterious, the Chimera has woven itself into our campus lore. My humble role in resurrecting it as a symbol reminds us that we are all “makers,” continuously evolving while honoring our shared past. Though my role changes, the Chimera remains deeply rooted in CCA’s collective consciousness.

I took inspiration from my love of retro surrealism and fantasy. This piece incorporates my favorite elements of dark tones, playful imagery, and camp.

My piece is about a specific day I spent with my father in Golden Gate Park when he came to visit me, here in San Francisco. I grew up in Maine so it was nice to spend time in a place with greenery that reminded me of home with my father.

The object is important to me because it is a variation of a reflection of me. It includes my love for music, reading, the color red, flowers, ducks, etc. this object was layered to also replicate the complexity of myself as a person. Of course I have more hobbies and things I like but as of now this variation includes a few.

Having a good time and a cheerful atmosphere is most motivating and important to me as a creative person.

These two objects are stop motion puppets me and one of my best friends made here at CCA for an animation short. It was one of the first of many projects we ended up doing together which led to the friendship we still have today. We each made one character out of paper, pen, and pins and both of our different yet complimentary styles could be seen through each puppet.

On Move In day Residential Education had our first program of the year in Founders Hall where residents could make a succulent by gathering materials on each of the floors. As someone who basically just started working at the college, helping plan and participate in this event felt like the first time I was really a part of CCA. It was awesome to see students talking to new people and making connections while painting their pots and picking out succulents. It gave me a lot of enthusiasm and optimism for the upcoming school year.

When I started at CCA, I worked out of the Blattner Print Studio, with my office door open directly to the outside. There were quiet mornings when the campus was empty, and I would be sitting at my desk, drinking coffee, and feel eyes on me. Looking over, it was one of the deer, quietly watching. I relished those moments, when the local animals would make themselves known.

When I began working here 6 years ago, I managed the Materials Library, which sometimes included dusting it. Dust from the shop equipment, from the old faulty windows above, construction dust from the back lot, from the freeway and the train tracks. It quickly forms a film on every surface, heaps in the corners. It would be in my sinuses and under my fingernails after an afternoon of cleaning. That’s not my job anymore, and soon I’ll be gone from CCA, not by choice. The dust swirls, the dust settles–or does it?

My collage captures a bird, a flower, and fruits, made from materials my professor collected over years of creativity at CCA. I love the metaphor of making something new from what creative CCA people have already made. It’s a simple tribute to inspiration in the moment.

The XP is a new type of electric motorcycle, one that discards conventions and defies expectations. Developed without compromise and built with precision, the XP combines cutting-edge design with state-of-the-art technology, representing a new era of personal transport.

Design Director: Hugo Eccles, CCA Design Faculty 2014-
Designers: Camden Foley (BFA Industrial Design 2015), David Lecoeuche (BFA Industrial Design 2017), Junyi ‘Tracy’ Li (BFA Industrial Design 2018), Jacob Baldry (BFA Industrial Design 2019), Juan Ignacio Pazmino (BFA Industrial Design 2020), Arvand Ghodrati (MFA Design 2024), Oliver Grant (BFA Industrial Design 2023).