Out of all of the things that College of the Sequoias has to offer, how many students really know about the art department and art gallery here at our very own Visalia campus? Whether you’re majoring in an art related field or you’re just personally interested in art, the COS art gallery can be the perfect place. From first impression, the gallery gives a welcoming and calming feeling to anyone walking in. Creating a space of contemplation and introspection. With the wide array of sculptures and paintings, stepping into the gallery is like stepping into another world. The COS art gallery acts as a portal to transfer you to a different place and act as some reprieve from the various assignments and classwork. The wonderful employees and volunteers in the art department create the best sense of community and learning by allowing any student to come in and observe the art or to simply just hang out.
The COS art gallery has been up and running since the 90s and many COS alumni have the honor of saying that their work has been exhibited there. There are usually two exhibitions in the fall and spring by professional artists, followed by a student exhibition towards the end of spring. Along with the COS art gallery that is located in the Kaweah building on the Visalia campus, the COS Library also has exhibited artworks, there are going to be three selected exhibitions for the 2026 year, all focusing on the 100 year anniversary of COS. The exhibitions by professional artists in the fall are chosen by the art department faculty as they gather together and rank the different pieces from different artists. As they make their selections while considering expertise and knowledge, the Gallery Director, Professor Rangel, plans ahead and creates a diverse exhibition schedule.
A jury decides which students present at the exhibition. The art department has a non-biased artist from the community come and select pieces anonymously. A student who has taken a COS art class within the past two semesters, as far back as the previous spring, is able to submit up to three works that can be as old as the previous spring. Students aspiring to get their pieces in the COS art gallery can know that their work is evaluated to a high degree and they know that if their work is accepted, it’s a big accomplishment. The Gallery Exhibition class is responsible for curating, framing, and installing the various works. Populated by a team of dedicated and passionate artists, students submitting their works can know that their art is handled with the utmost care. Along with putting up and taking down the artworks, the class also hosts the awards at the end of the exhibition’s run, where students can celebrate their accomplishments, and cheer on their peers.
The gallery exhibition class can be a great place for students to start their journey in the art world. The various skills that you learn can be applied to so many different fields and careers. Whether someone is interested in fine art or sculpting, the gallery always has a wide variety of different works in both respects. With works staying up for a few months before the next exhibit gets cycled in, COS students can observe an array of different styles and techniques. Students taking the class can learn from experienced talent and really harness their craft. Even if you’re most interested in the more technical and hands-on work of the art world, the COS art gallery is right for you.
Whether that’s learning about the hardware used to hang up paintings or install sculptures, or the different aspects in lighting the gallery itself, students can gain the knowledge they need. The gallery even works in tandem with other local galleries here in Visalia. COS is doing a collaborative exhibit with the Chinese Cultural Center here in Visalia. The students and faculty involved with the art department are taking on this community based project to help enrich Visalia, but also to inspire others and show them the different paths that art may lead. By helping install exhibits and installations, students can gain experience doing the jobs in their desired field.
For COS students pursuing a career in the arts, the COS art gallery provides a plethora of good opportunities. The gallery exhibition class has so many opportunities for students to gain experience for their future careers. Some artists benefiting from the gallery exhibition class include Jeannie Gill and Isabelle De La Cruz. Gill and De La Cruz both take the gallery exhibition class and work as docents in the gallery. Effectively being the main employees taking care of the art and providing information anytime someone has a question about the pieces.
The gallery can also help to connect students with other jobs on campus that are related. Gill even said that not long after she’d been taking the gallery exhibition class that she started working as a supplemental instruction leader for her art history class. While the art history class isn’t explicitly related to the art gallery, without making the connections in the gallery, Gill may never have found that being an SI for that class would be beneficial. With all of the connections on campus, the gallery can be perfect for anyone.
Gill relayed that due to her involvement in the gallery here at COS, she even received a scholarship to work at a gallery in Three Rivers. Many students involved with the COS art gallery find themselves interested in a field relating to art in some way, and many students even become specifically interested in work relating to museum studies. The students of the various art subdivisions on campus worked with the few art professors and together formed the Museum Club. Even though COS doesn’t offer a specific museum studies program, many found that the Museum Club is perfect for them to learn and expand their knowledge on their interested career. While there are so many opportunities on campus, the COS art gallery can also help build your resume and lead you to jobs off campus to really start your career.
While the different connections pertaining to academic institutions and work in the art field are supremely valuable and alluring, an individual can’t beat the connections and community of artists created that last a lifetime. The people that you meet in the class become your close friends and even family. With everyone pursuing the same art-oriented goal or interest, it becomes impossible to not relate and have fun with like-minded people. This seems to be a fairly important factor of the class as Gill gleefully expressed “I made a lot of friends in the gallery.”
