Closing HSU’s Third Street Gallery ‘Would be a Far-Reaching Mistake,’ Says Save Third Street Gallery Committee
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Honorable Chancellor White and CSU Trustees,
We write to ask for your support in keeping Humboldt State University’s Third Street Gallery open. As the “Save Third Street Gallery Committee” we are composed of Humboldt County concerned citizens, business leaders, city officials, emeritus faculty, artists and engaged community and tribal members. We believe the closing of Third Street would be a far-reaching mistake for HSU and for the larger Humboldt County communities and the CSU system of which we are a part.
Recruitment and Retention
The Third Street Gallery provides a stellar example of arts education and art practices at its best and currently has a significant impact on the Art Department’s recruitment and retention. This is because it provides a platform and lab for serving students from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds, including those of Native American heritage, in many ways. For example, it provides students with:
• Internships for the museum studies program,
• Lectures by professional artists,
• Experience running a gallery,
• Exhibition design experience,
• Curatorial experience and writing/art criticism,
• Catalog production and essay writing experience,
• Experience in visual teaching strategies through the art education program
• Experience with K-12th grade students through the docent program
Town Gown
The gallery blends educational curriculum and student involvement with service to the local community and beyond. Third Street Gallery organizes and presents exhibitions with a special focus on contemporary art while providing a publicly accessible venue for art made by regional, tribal, national and international artists as well as the faculty, staff, students and alumni of Humboldt State University.
The gallery’s presence in Eureka’s Old Town aids in validating the designation of the Eureka Cultural Arts District by the California Arts Council.
The gallery brings to the community annual exhibitions dedicated to the subjects of Social Justice and Environmental Stewardship. These exhibitions often will reach out to underserved populations in our local community, helping to build better understanding of our neighbors and our environment.
The value of the arts is evident in our economy, locally and internationally. Countless HSU arts graduates have chosen, over the years, to remain in Humboldt County and they are the creators of many of our most successful industries. Holly-Yashi, Kokotat, Wallace and Hines, Baroni Designs, Marimba One, Fire and Light, Hilliard Lamps are among the “first line” (international awards and distribution) of designers created out of the art minds of graduates of HSU.
Reputation
Currently, with its location in Eureka and with over 26,000 visitors annually, HSU Third Street Gallery is by far HSU’s most visited, most popular fine arts gallery. In readers’ polls published by the North Coast Journal, HSU Third Street Gallery was selected as the North Coast’s Best Art Gallery in 2011 and 2016. Humboldt State University and the Gallery play a part in state and national acclaim as well. The awards that draw attention to HSU and the region (to parents and potential enrollment!) include the League of Cities designation of Eureka as 1st in Cultural Arts District; Best Small Art Town; One of Top
Five National Main Street Cities; second place in Sunset Magazine’s list of “Game-Changing Places to Live in the West,” 2018 and just this month Lonely Planet named California’s Redwood Coast the Number One Destination in the Country to Visit in 2018. Let’s protect this public relations benefit.
Cypress Grove, Carter Hotel, Six Rivers Brewery, and Fieldbrook Winery are four examples of well-known local businesses that employ graphic designers from HSU. The direct art influence is evident in the successful theater groups, musical ensembles, and world-class murals. Nearly every aspect of our lives, economy (and HSU outreach!) is enhanced by artists. In short, the seeds that HSU creativity plants at HSU and into our community is precisely what makes us successful and brings national recognition to the region.
Thanks to the work of our students and the support of our community and university colleagues, the gallery has garnered a reputation that stretches way beyond our region and draws visitors and artists from far and wide.
The Jewel of HSU
The gallery has a national reputation that is fitting for HSU, with its reputation and mission for being a regional center for the arts. Third Street Gallery has thousands of supporters in the county—people know that on the first Saturday of every month during “Arts Alive” they can count on seeing an exciting exhibition they won’t see anywhere else. Closing the gallery would be a tremendous loss to the HSU community and the Humboldt County community educationally and financially. It is said that Third Street Gallery is the jewel of HSU and that it has become the cultural epicenter of Eureka. It is vital that we have our Chancellor’s support to protect it.
Thank you,
Partial List of Supporters:
Susan Abbott, President, Abbott & Company, Inc.
Austen Allison, Eureka City Council Member
Virginia Bass, Humboldt County Supervisor
Dr. Jean Heard Bazemore, Principal of Northcoast Preparatory and Arts Academy
Robert F. Benson, Professor Emeritus of Art College of the Redwoods and Tsnugwe Tribal Elders Council
JoAnne Berke, HSU Emeritus Faculty
Patty Berg, former California State Assemblywoman
Elizabeth Berrien, Wire Zoo, sculptor and illustrator
Marian Brady, Eureka City Councilmember and owner of Marian Brady Design
Lynn and George Bucquet, owner, Mad River Glass
Edith Butler, Former HSU Staff
Pam Cahill, Eureka Symphony Board Member
Mikki Cardoza, CEO/Broker/Owner MikkiMoves Real Estate, Inc.
Lynn and Kelly Carlin, HSU alumni, BA in Arts and property owner
Cindy Chesbro, retired instructor
Wesley Chesbro, California State Senator, retired
Patrick Cleary
Carol Coar, Educational Consultant,
Natalie Craig, Redwood Arts Association and artist
Brad Curtis, Parosol Arts Pottery and Mosaics
Lorraine Dillon, Former HSU Staff
Doug Durham, Retired Aerospace Engineer, Art Collector
Diane Eikenbery, arts advocate
Ben Fairless, HSU Emeritus Professor
Brian Fergeson, Ramone’s Bakery and Cafe Owner
David Ferney, Theatre Producer, Director
Michael Fields, Artistic Director, Dell’Arte International
Nancy Flemming; former Eureka Mayor, California Coastal Commissioner; ED. Sequoia Humane Society
Jon Forsythe, Engineer
Nick Frank, Eureka property owner and Economic Development Consultant
Julie Fulkerson, business owner, former City Mayor (Arcata and Trinidad) and County Board Member
Bob and Mary Gearheart, Supporters of the Arts
Lori Goodman, HSU alumni, MA, Sculpture
Zuretti Goosby
Nina Groth, artist and Eureka property owner
Lynn Harvey, Creative Director and Co-Owner of Carson Park Design
Cassandra Hesseltine, Film Commissioner Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission
Peter Jermyn, Los Bagels Company
Russ Krause, Eureka City Property Owner
Lewis Litzky, CPA
Charlotte McDonald, Eureka Main Street Executive Director
Michele McKeegan, Keep Eureka Beautiful
Mary Keehn, Founder, Cypress Grove
Peter LaVallee, Former Eureka Mayor
Corey Lewis, PhD, Former HSU Professor
Sasha Lyth is Co-Chair Arts and Education Committee Humboldt Arts Council
Johanna Mauro
Libby Maynard, Executive Director, Ink People Center for the Arts
Joel Mielke, Creative Director and Co-Owner of Carson Park Design
Berit Meyer, Ramone’s Bakery and Cafe Owner
Shirley Miller, Retired teacher, Docent for the Humboldt Arts Council
Lynette Mullen, Owner/Director Project Delivery
Steve O’Meara, Kokatat
Susan Ornelas, Arcata City Council
Sophia Pelafigue, Pacific Union School.
Anne Pierson, property owner
Lucy Quinby, Co-Chair Arts and Education Committee Humboldt Arts Council.
Lewis Quinby
Rollin C. Richmond, Emeritus President, Humboldt State University
Wendy Rowan, Director, Humboldt First Five, retired
Ron Samuels, owner of Marimba One
Kelly Sanders, HSU graduate, Clerk, Recorder/Registrar of Voters
Neal Sanders, Attorney
Peter Santino
George and Peggy Schmidbauer
Suzanne Simpson, Artist, Film Producer
Tony Smithers, Eureka-Humboldt Visitors Bureau
Dr. Rebecca Stauffer, Physician
Alexandra Stillman, HSU alumni, Arcata City Council, retired and property owner
Alexandria Sullivan, Museum Manager, Humboldt Arts Council in the Morris Graves Museum of Art
Brett Watson, Vice Mayor, City of Arcata
Kenneth W. Weiderman, Art Teacher, Zane Middle School, former Lecturer, Art Dept.
Gail Wight, Associate Professor Stanford University
Mike Wilson, Humboldt County Supervisor
John Woolley, HSU Graduate, former Humboldt County Supervisor
Katy and Mike Yanke
CC:
Board of Trustees, California State University
Silas Abrego
Jane W. Carney
Adam Day
Rebecca D. Eisen
Douglas Faigin
Debra S. Farar
Jean P. Firstenberg
Emily F. Hinton
Lillian Kimbell
Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana
Hugo N. Morales
Jon Nilon
J. Lawrence Norton
Jorge Reyes Salinas
Romey Sabalius
Lateefah Simon
Peter J. Taylor
Humboldt State University
Lisa Rossbacher, President, HSU and President’s Cabinet
Colleen Mullery
Cheryl Johnson
Mary Hackett
HSU Resource Planning Committee
Mark Rizzardi
Alexander Enyedi
Erick Eschker
James Woglom
Kacie Flynn
Sarah Bacio
Douglas Dawes
Wayne Brumfield
Craig Wruck
Cyril Oberlander
Joey Mularky
Hari Singh
Lisa Bond-Maupin
Rosamel Benavides-Garb
Heather Madar
Julie Alderson
Jack Bentley
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This is the same university (sic) that cancelled the only productive program at this institution. Nursing. Possibly you may have an artist take care of an aging population. The walls of our home are covered with art and it does elevate the mind. If the third street gallery is as vital and supported as claimed it should be able to pay its own way.
When they cancelled the nursing it only had eight students and five full time faculty. I was none of the eight. And CR had started their two year program. An RN is not a degree. Very little of a four year degree applies to what nurses actually do in a hospital.
It was a shame that nursing was cancelled, but to call it the only productive program at the college is absurd. HSU has very solid biology, fisheries, forestry, engineering, and chemistry programs (to name a few).
Exactly! Thank you for pointing that out! I can save myself from additional typing.
P.S. My sis is alumni and still has a career with the degree’s she earned 16yrs ago. Think before you thunk!
Because ART is so important, NOT!
Art isn’t important? To me it is. Football (I hope you passionate fans forgive me) isn’t important to me. But it might be to you.
I am an art department graduate (to save my cred, sculpture with emphasis on chainsaw sculpting, blacksmithing and foundry). Damn, most days, or nights, I would flush that whole department for the nursing students downstairs. I still can’t believe they got rid of that, IT, or most of their life sciences. I just dump all their alum stuff in the recycle bin at the PO box, figgin joke of an institution. I love this gallery and what it represents for students, but there are some GLARING omissions from the supporter list, and MANY. What they did publish is a wealthy and large donor base, why don’t they just go 501C?
👎👎👎
The nursing program was a big loss to our community. I thought I remember something about being unable to staff the program? Anyway at that point I recognized that it was an institution uninterested in those outside of it. What they do, they do. It is only of passing interest.
Cancel football. All those head injuries will be needing medical personal. Too bad there won’t be any.
Or…close HSU. Think of the savings.
Or the negative economic hit the entire county would take. Or you’d rather children to thunk than think?
Yes, because in 2018, education is bad. Ignorance is good. Up is down. And hate is freedom of religion.
What is the annual cost of operating the Gallery? Isn’t it an opportunity for the university and community to partner to continue an asset to both? Maybe this could be an example of what we all can do to bring local educational needs to a forum where they can be solves through partnership?
A common fallacy is to equate education with intelligence. There are some very highly educated people who seem unable to run a business. I thunk.