Shizu Saldamando’s “Jolie and Belly” Acquired by the Cerritos College Art Gallery

SHIZU SALDAMANDO
Jolie and Belly, 2015
Colored Pencil and Spray Paint on Paper
22 x 30 inches

The Cerritos College Committee on Art in Public Spaces (CAPS) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Shizu Saldamando to the college’s growing public art collection.

Recent works by William Camargo, Shizu Saldamando, Karla Diaz, Ken Gonzales-Day, and Carla Jay Harris were specifically acquired this year for display in the hallways of the Santa Barbara building, near the entrance to the college’s Equity Center, as part of the Small Art Collection, with the stated goal that visitors to the Equity Center (predominantly queer/trans, black, latinx, and AAPI) would be able to see themselves represented in the works on display.

The Cerritos College Small Art Collection is currently spread across publicly accessible areas of the campus, features paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs ranging in size from multiple small works on paper to two massive fourteen-foot shaped-canvas paintings. Themes presented in the displayed works reflect the areas of study covered in nearby classrooms. Artists already represented in the collection include Carolyn Castaño, Brian Cooper, Amir H Fallah, Alexandra Grant, Mark Steven Greenfield, Gronk, Sean Higgins, Virginia Katz, Nery Gabriel Lemus, Melissa Manfull, Álvaro Daniel Márquez, Hung Viet Nguyen, Christina Ondrus, Naida Osline, Julia Paull, Gala Porras-Kim, Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia, Marie Thibeault, and Jessica Wimbley.

The Cerritos College Equity Center serves as a safe space for all students, but especially those from marginalized populations, to foster a sense of belonging and student success for all. Also housed in the Center are the P.R.I.D.E. Scholars and UndocuFalcons Scholars programs, designed to support these vulnerable student groups throughout their educational journeys. The P.R.I.D.E. Scholars is an LGBTQ+ student support program that aims to foster a supportive and safe atmosphere for LGBTQ+ students to ensure their success at Cerritos College and beyond. The UndocuFalcons Scholars program provides resources and support such as scholarships, book vouchers, immigration legal consultation, wifi and laptop loaners, and food/housing support for undocumented students.