Catalyst, a student operated art gallery, was created three years ago through the collaboration of studio art faculty and undergraduate students, with the goal of providing an artistic platform that extends beyond the traditional academic class structure. The gallery is operated exclusively by undergraduate students, with faculty support from Daniel Martinez, and welcomes collaboration with any undergraduate UCIrvine students, regardless of their major. While Catalyst provides exposure of the arts for all students, it also encourages a crucial dialogue between undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty and visiting lecturers. The education students receive through this immediate and independent implementation of their lessons in a setting like Catalyst is invaluable.

UCIrvine’s studio art department encourages strong critical thinking in conjunction with the development of hands-on studio practice skills. While each project receives comprehensive feedback from teachers and classmates via group critiques, assignments are often being completed one by one without the intention of developing a cohesive style or body of work consistent to the students themselves. By the time studio art majors become seniors and participate in the required Senior Exhibition course, many students have a difficult time selecting their work that expresses a specific style or subject matter. The success of the Senior Exhibition show has the potential to become marginalized due to the lack of long-term exposure to a process that is fundamental to a working artist. Through a research project like Catalyst, studio art majors can develop skills crucial to their success as they approach graduation: writing successful proposals, understanding the significance of a curatorial process, and ultimately installing work that forms a cohesive exhibition. This forces students to take their work a step further than the typical class critique and receive feedback from a more dynamic audience.

Of course, the method of research required to implement the goals of Catalyst may be considered slightly unconventional when compared to other disciplines, but the dedication and planning required for effective execution are no less valuable. In an effort to include all studio art students, Catalyst has built a curatorial schedule in response to various teachers’ lesson plans. Our curatorial structure is particularly thoughtful of the Visual Culture core curriculum in order to make shows more approachable as they resonate common themes to class assignments. As a group, the members of Catalyst regularly attend art shows and lectures in and around southern California. Mastering time management is fundamental to each student’s success and is a crucial facet of making Catalyst function successfully. Additionally, the structure of interactive responsibilities allows all participants to gain a level of understanding in various fields such as marketing, fundraising, advertising, curating, formal proposal writing/review, and physical installation of artwork. Administrative aspects of Catalyst’s operations provide an insight to life in the art world after school, insights that are not otherwise provided in any UCIrvine art course. Most importantly, these experiences encourage more spontaneous and insightful interactions with faculty, graduate students and each other.