Art from the Heart has been a long-standing tradition at Sonoma State, allowing students to showcase their artwork at the SSU Gallery. The gallery held its 42nd annual Art from the Heart benefit auction on April 4, featuring works from both students and residents of Sonoma County.
This year had over 350 attendees, with 129 artists donated 113 artworks, and a total of $22,000 raised by the end of the event. The proceeds from the auction will go towards funding programs and exhibition maintenance. Attendees got to experience vibrant music from Latin band Batacha, alongside an arrangement of food and wine.
The event featured an array of various artworks, ranging from oil paintings, ceramic sculptures, and mixed media. One of the featured works was Tree in Negative, created by Natasha Lissen, a student at SSU majoring in Art Studio with an emphasis on painting. Created en plein air, the artwork was sold at last week’s auction for over $100.
“We just went outside and went crazy,” said Lissen, while talking about the piece’s creation. “I started off with graphite, I had a bunch of charcoal everywhere and I’ve never really used white charcoal, so I wanted to use that. I just kind of wanted to have some fun with it, it’s more about exploration than anything else.”
It’s not a requirement for SSU students to be art studio majors to donate their work. Anyone can donate their artwork to the auction, from students of varying majors to local Sonoma County residents. All proceeds from the auction goes back to the gallery, making it one of the
main ways that SSU’s gallery is funded.
“Anyone can join in, but there’s a certain amount of space so you have to reserve in advance,” said Lissen. “Send out an email to them and say, ‘Hey, I’m interested, is there still space?’ From there, they let us know when to drop it off. It was really nice and simple actually.”
Although SSU’s annual 42nd Art from the Heart has passed, there’s many upcoming events to look forward to that the Art Department wants Seawolves to be aware of. From April 23 – May 23, SSU will hold the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Exhibition, showcasing the work of SSU’s graduating BFA class. A curation of students’ strongest work will be displayed. Opening reception will be held Thursday, April 23rd from 4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.
