Thompson Gallery Launches New Partnership with Hammer Theatre to Showcase Alumni Artists

San José State's Natalie and James Thompson Galleryhas launched an exciting new partnership with the Hammer Theatre, with work by alumni artists now installed in the Hammer2 Galleryon the theater's second floor. The inaugural exhibition, called "Beginnings," opened on August 2 during South First Fridays, a monthly event in downtown San José. Participating artists include Jackelin Solorio, '22 MFA Spatial Arts; Robynn Smith, ''82 BA, '85 MFA Art; Dottie Lo Bue, '16 BFA Pictorial Arts; Lani Viet, '22 BFA Pictorial Arts, and Jason Adkins, '07 MFA Photography. Their work will be on display until November 10, visible to theatergoers as well as to the general public on the first Friday of every month from 5-7 p.m.

"We are very excited for this opportunity to partner with another SJSU program by expanding the Natalie and James Thompson Gallery exhibit capabilities into our second floor lobbies (Hammer2 Gallery)," says Chris Burril, executive director of Hammer Theatre.

"The idea is to bring [visual] art to the Hammer Theatre on a rotating basis," says Alena Sauzade, art gallery director and collections manager at San José State, where she is also the co-director of Public Art as Resistance in San José. "The Hammer is really exciting because it's already part of the university, but also has a footprint downtown. When people come to see a show at the Hammer, we also want them to take a look at some art. We carved out a space where we can invite our SJSU alumni to exhibit their work, as well as to engage with the community. We want to give them an opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional way."

San José State faculty, staff, students and alumni are involved in every step of the exhibition process, from sharing the open call for submissions earlier this spring to selecting participants to installing pieces on the gallery wall. Sauzade and Technical Gallery Coordinator Ashley Elieff, '20 Art History, trained a team of student assistants to handle and install artwork. Hammer Theatre patrons can peruse the exhibition during intermission or before and after performances, and even have the option to purchase pieces. Sauzade hopes that the partnership will bring attention to San José State's six student art galleries, where each semester the university hosts thesis shows, as well as student, faculty and guest artist exhibitions.

The Hammer2 Gallery offers a "cool way to stay in touch with SJSU artists who are out in the world," she adds.

"Students can do class shows, but those are handled differently," she says. "With the Hammer2 Gallery, we operate the way art galleries and museums do. They bring their work on a certain day and we install it for people to view. Their work is for sale, and if there's a purchase, it goes back to the artist. We're treating them as professionals, and it's the beginning of a new relationship with our alumni."

"I am excited and looking forward to the opportunities we are offering SJSU alumni to both showcase their work and have a place to sell it to new audiences," says Jenn Poret, client services manager at the Hammer Theatre. " All pieces are available for purchase through our Box Office; what a wonderful way to assist alumni in their journey as visual artists."

After a successful grand opening, Sauzade is excited for shows to come. She encourages alumni artists to keep an eye on the SJSU Art Galleries Instagram for upcoming submission calls. Though the long-term goal is to extend submissions to include community members beyond the university, for now she hopes to continue collaborating with alumni.

"What did our alumni begin at SJSU?" she asks. "Once they left, the new seeds of their ideas sprouted up. That's what I'm excited to see."

Learn more about the SJSU Natalie and James Thompson Gallery.

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