Nicholas + Lee BEGOVICH GALLERY
Tom LaDuke, Future Proof, 2023. Mixed media on canvas, 68 x 80 inches, courtesy of the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY.
TOM LADUKE: Slowly, the song goes
On view: September 26, 2026 – May 7, 2027
Public Reception: Saturday, September 26, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The College of the Arts Galleries at California State University, Fullerton presents slowly, the song goes, a solo exhibition by artist Tom LaDuke. Bringing together new drawings, recent paintings, and earlier sculptures, the exhibition traces recurring ideas that have shaped LaDuke’s practice for more than three decades, offering a rare opportunity to experience the evolution of one of Southern California’s most influential contemporary artists. Through processes of layering, revision, and transformation, LaDuke’s work blurs distinctions between the natural and artificial, the familiar and the unfamiliar, revealing an artistic practice rooted in continual change as forms, images, and concepts reappear in unexpected ways across multiple mediums.
Seventh Seal or Whoopee we’re all going to die (Detail), 2008. Woodcut, lithograph stencil and etching on paper (four combined panels backed by book cloth), 12 x 12 ft. Gift of Debra Winters, CSUF College of the Arts Permanent Collection. Accession# [2021.000480]
PATRICK MERRILL: Prints from the Permanent Collection, 2004–2009
On view: September 21–December 9, 2026
Reception: Saturday, September 26, 2026
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Patrick Merrill (1948-2012) was a master printmaker and mixed-media artist known for his monumental woodcuts, etchings, and lithography. His work transformed personal experience and societal concerns into compelling explorations of war, patriarchy, faith, and human resilience. Through complex compositions, Merrill often placed sacred iconography alongside scenes from everyday life, forging unexpected connections between historical narratives and contemporary realities.
RELATED PROGRAMMING
Tom LaDuke in his studio, 2022, Los Angeles, CA. Image courtesy of the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
COTA Galleries Artist Lecture Series: Tom LaDuke
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, from 2 to 4 PM
Location: Visual Arts Building H, Newbury Knauss Grand Atrium, Second Floor
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Presented in conjunction with the program in Drawing and Painting and the exhibition, slowly, the song goes, the gallery’s artist lecture series presents a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of Southern California’s most influential contemporary artists, Tom LaDuke.
Patrick Merrill, Whore of Babylon (Detail), 2007, Woodcut and etching on paper, 8×7 ft., Edition of 5. CSUF College of the Arts Galleries Permanent Collection, Gift of Debra Winters. [2021.000410]
IN CONVERSATION
Beyond the Print: The Art and Legacy of Patrick Merrill
Saturday, November 14, 2026 from 11:30 AM to 1 PM
Location: Visual Arts Building H Newbury Knauss Grand Atrium, Second Floor
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
IN CONVERSATION is a live series that connects image makers, scholars, and the community for bold, engaging exchanges on art, culture, and the ideas shaping our present moment.
Moderated by art historian and Professor Emerita Joanna Roche, with art historian and Professor Emerita Ruth Capelle, and artist, art writer, and CSUF alumna in Drawing and Painting, Suvan Geer.
STUDENT GALLERIES
Marilyn and Cline Duff Gallery • Leo Freedman Foundation Studio and M.F.A. Art Gallery Stan Mark Ryan ’75 Gallery
Group 1
On View: September 21–25
Public Reception: September 23 from 4 to 6 PM
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
General Studio, BA
Radiant Earth, Toxic Drift: Voices from the Valley and Coast
Van Tassel’s work is rooted in the scale, labor, and quiet harmony woven into the agriculture that sustains California.
Drawing & Painting, BFA
She Can’t Win
Sanchez’s artwork addresses the restraints women feel as expressed through drawings of women and birds. MAHTA JAFARI
Graphic & Interactive Design, MFA
You Don’t SEE It, But It’s THERE
Jafari’s work explores how design can make invisible biological systems perceptible through interactive experiences.
Group 2
On View: October 5–9
Public Reception: October 7 from 4 to 6 PM
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
OLIVIA BELIDA
Art History, BA
Stand Alone
Belida tells the story of her family through the camera’s lens by using photography as a psychic reckoning. Her work explores resiliency and the impacts of colonialism, migration, tragedy, and estrangement. VÍCTOR CASTAÑEDA
Creative Photography & Experimental Media, BFA
Mis Calles
Mis Calles documents streets and neighborhoods throughout Fullerton with significant differences in maintenance and care to examine how where we live can reveal inequality and civic responsibility.
Group 3
On View: October 19–24
Public Reception: October 21 from 4 to 6 PM
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
GOOSE VALENCIA
Creative Photography & Experimental Media, BFA
Thank God for Punk Rock
Valencia depicts the chaos and community of the punk scene and its lifelong influence on the artist.
GWYNETH WONG
General Studio, BA
miss glass
“Inspired by the Japanese ‘Superflat‘ style, I use surrealism and bold colors to depict an imagined inner world in contrast to the darker reality of the true world.” KRISTEN TARIN
Graphic & Interactive Design, BFA
Mirage to Milestone: Translating Desert Research Through Design
Through the lens of ecological awareness,
Tarin reveals the hidden intersections of science, Indigenous knowledge, and human history.
Group 4
On View: November 2–6
Public Reception: November 4 from 4 to 6 PM
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
KAYLEI ANDREA GALLOWAY
Drawing & Painting, BFA
Escapism
“My goal with this series is to be both an emotional and educational experience, to learn more about the beauty and serenity of the natural world.“
MARINA PEÑA
Ceramics and Glass, BFA
Comedy & Agony
“Through this work, the artist seeks to create space for dialogue, acknowledge resilience without romanticizing suffering, and affirm healing as an ongoing process of reclaiming agency and self.“
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Hours: 11 AM to 4 PM, Monday– Friday
Closed on weekends, all major holidays, and during campus closures for winter, spring, and summer breaks.
The College of the Arts Galleries (Begovich and Student Galleries– Duff, Friedman, Ryan ‘75) is in Building G facing Clayes Performing Art Center.
Park in the Nutwood Parking Structure at St. College/Arts Drive. Parking permits are required Mon.–Thurs. and Fri. before 5 PM. FREE Sat. and Sun.
parking.fullerton.edu/visitors
Visiting the campus? Parking permit fees are required Monday – Thursday, 7 am to 10 pm, and Friday, 7 am to 5 pm. Visitors may purchase short- term parking at the following rates:
- $4/hour
- $12/day
Download the map: https://parking.fullerton.edu/maps/index.html
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Categories: Arts, Local News
