The Green Art Project

The Central Valley Foundation’s McClatchy Fresno Art Endowment awarded a $100,000 grant to the Center for Creativity and the Arts (CCA) at Fresno State in collaboration with the Fresno Art Museum and Arte Américas. The gift will support a series of coordinated exhibitions and public events around the theme environmental sustainability.

“We are very pleased by this thoughtful collaboration addressing the McClatchy Fresno Art Endowment’s 2012 theme of environmental art and the exciting exhibits it will bring to the Fresno community,” said Susan McClatchy, chair of the endowment and vice chair of the foundation.

The McClatchy Fresno Art Endowment was established in 2010 as a permanent endowment of the Central Valley Foundation, founded by Susan and the late James B. McClatchy. The endowment’s goal is to fund major art exhibitions of national, international or regional importance mounted in the Fresno area.

This partnership will bring renowned artists to the Central Valley to explore issues related to environmental sustainability through their works. The exhibits and activities will take place on the Fresno State campus, Fresno Art Museum and Arte Américas from this fall through spring 2013.

“The collaboration will spotlight environmental sustainability throughout our community, perhaps even reaching out beyond the city limits to surrounding communities,” said Dr. José A. Díaz, associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State.

In November, CCA and the Fresno Art Museum will co-host internationally recognized environmental sculpture artist Patrick Dougherty for a three-week residency.

Dougherty will create a sculpture installation on the Fresno State campus, work with university students and give a lecture open to the public in the Bonner Auditorium at the museum. Fresno State will also host local K-12 students and public school educators for workshops about the installation.

In conjunction with Dougherty’s campus residency, the Fresno Art Museum will present an exhibition of large-format photographs documenting his installations around the globe. This exhibition will run from October through December.

“We are excited at the opportunity to bring an artist such as Mr. Dougherty to the Central Valley. The theme of his work is timely and compliments our mission,” said Linda Cano, executive director of the Fresno Art Museum.

Arte Américas continues the theme of environmental sustainability with “IGNITE! The Art of Sustainability.” This exhibition features contemporary California artists working in mixed media, responding to environmental issues facing the state. The show was organized by Exhibit Envoy, a non-profit organization that coordinates traveling exhibitions for California museums.

The show’s eight week run at Arte Américas starts in February. According to Elva Rodríguez, executive director of Arte Américas in downtown Fresno, “It is a great opportunity to network with the other institutions and to expand the reach of the project to Arte Américas’ audiences and our Cultural Arts District environs.”

Arte Américas will also host a panel discussion on environmental issues raised by “IGNITE! The Art of Sustainability,” led by artists in the exhibition.

Fresno State’s Center for Creativity and the Arts explores the challenges facing the Valley and beyond by engaging diverse communities in artistic and intellectual discovery. Each year the center explores an important issue facing society from a cross-disciplinary perspective. The center choose “Sustainability and Consumption,” as the focus for the 2012-13 academic year.

The Fresno Art Museum is an accredited art museum established in 1948 with the goal of engaging the community of Central California through exhibitions and programs.

Arte Américas was founded in 1987 and has become the largest Latino cultural center in Central California. The center hosts art and cultural activities including exhibitions and concerts.