Marilyn and Cline Duff Gallery
BELLA VAN TASSEL
(General Studio, BA)
Radiant Earth, Toxic Drift: Voices from the Valley and Coast
Public Reception
| September 23 from 4–6 PM
Exhibition on view
September 21–26
Artist's Statement:
My work is rooted in the land. In its scale, labor, and the quiet harmony woven in the agriculture that sustains California. Through painting, I explore the vastness of the Central Valley and Central Coast, regions that form the backbone of our food systems, remaining overlooked, driven past, and rarely seen for what they are.
I use acrylic paint to create tension within sun-bleached passages, stressed edges, and fields of color that echo the harshness of the environment.
To speak about division: between land & labor, abundance & exploitation, what we desire & what we have created.
An invitation to witness a California that is often ignored. I want viewers to leave with an impression of the region that they did not have before, to feel the immensity of the land, the humanity of workers, and the urgency of its environmental realities.
This is the hidden valley — and it deserves to be seen.
Leo Freedman Foundation Studio and MFA Art Gallery
MADELINE SANCHEZ
(Drawing & Painting, BFA)
She Can’t Win
Public Reception
| September 23 from 4–6 PM
Exhibition on view
September 21–26
Artist's Statement: What if there was no judgment for how a woman dresses, speaks, and lives her life? As a young woman, I struggle with being authentic while trapped in others’ expectations. I want to voice my unsolicited opinions and feel safe to dress as I want, not be objectified.
I want to feel safe to be me. There are so many unnecessary pressures that as a young woman I often think "I wish I could be a bird and fly out of my skin".
My artwork addresses the restraints women feel, expressed through drawings of women and birds. In these works, the women and birds represent both struggles and the liberations from these.
The medium is a mixture of ink and pen drawings on bristol and mixed media paper. One print and a glazed ceramic vase.
Stan Mark Ryan '75 Gallery
MAHTA JAFARI | (Graphic & Interactive Design, MFA)
You Don't SEE It, But It's THERE
Public Reception
| September 23 from 4–6 PM
Exhibition on view
September 21–26
Artist's Statement: My work explores how design can make invisible biological systems perceptible through interactive experiences. In this project, I investigate how AI, computational visualization, and Research-through-Design can translate complex cancer biology into a form that invites curiosity rather than requiring specialized scientific knowledge. Instead of treating scientific illustration as static information, I create an environment where viewers can interact with changing relationships between tumor metabolism, nutrient competition, and immune response. The project combines digital simulation, real-time graphics, and scientific collaboration to bridge communication between researchers and the public. I am interested in how interactive media can support understanding of complex systems while remaining scientifically responsible, emphasizing exploration over certainty and encouraging audiences to engage with biomedical research through visual experience.