Artwork in the Career Technical Education Building

The primary mission of the American River College Permanent Art Collection, under the supervision of the ARC Art Department, is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret historic and contemporary art from Northern California, the United States, and various cultures of the world with the goal to provide a visually and culturally rich and diverse educational environment for students on campus. Through generous donations and careful collecting, ARC’s collection is now worth more than a million dollars, making museum-quality artwork part of the education available to all students.

 The ARC Permanent Art Collection features important artworks by local and regional artists strengthening the ties between our students and local and regional art communities.  The collection also boasts works by nationally known artists Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Samella Lewis, Stan Padilla and Salvador Dali, to name a few.  You can view select pieces from our PAC on the walls throughout the America River College Campus. In addition, American River College has an extensive collection of outdoor site-specific murals and sculptures on campus, including the three “Agora Light” sculptures by Garr Ugalde that flank our Student Services building and the “Creating Pathways and Breaking Barriers” mural by Ruby Chacón and ARC students, both of which celebrate the richness and accessibility of education.

 This new collection for the Career Technical Education (CTE) building will give students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to interact with a collection of artworks that celebrates the creativity associated with career tech education.  The committee carefully selected works that would reflect the subjects being taught in the building.  Four new pieces were commissioned by the Office of Philanthropy specifically for the building as well as several pieces selected from the collection. Local Artists Shaun Burner created a new piece specifically featuring images of welders and mechanics hard at work.  You will see works by Kristen Hoard and Linda Raynsford, both large, welded pieces that incorporate recycled metal and LED lights.  In addition, you will see Robert Bowen’s large scale “Apex Predator” painting of a motorized shark.  Various other pieces from the PAC were selected to enrich the building’s environment as well.

Purchases:

• Linda Raynsford, “Mindset,” Metal Sculpture with LED, 2017
• Shuan Burner, Acrylic Painting on Panel, 2025
• Kristen Hoard, "River of Dreams," Recycled Aluminum Metal with LED Lighting, 2025
• Robert Bowen, “Apex Predato,” Acrylic on Canvas, Year

 Pieces from the permanent art collection:

• Jose di Gregorio "Palinopsia,” Oil paint marker, spray paint on canvas, 2020
• Darrell Forney, "Lifeboat on the American,” Acrylic on Canvas, 1985
• William Bell, "Fast-Slow,” Acrylic on Wood Panel, 2022