Cal State San Marcos School of Arts

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San Marcos, CA
Cal State San Marcos School of Arts

Art, Media, and Design - Dance Studies - Music - Theatre Arts The curriculum encourages interdisciplinary work, collaboration, and student self-direction.

The School of Arts at Cal State San Marcos provides an exciting multidisciplinary approach to the arts which embraces the cultural richness of southern California. A degree in Visual and Performing Arts consists of a sequence of courses that illuminates and emphasizes the benefits of our cross-cultural heritage, presented in the framework of a dynamic experiential, theoretical and technological environment.

09/07/2026

New campus, new classes, new chapter. 🎓✨

Starting college doesn’t come with a manual, so here are a few tips to help you make the most of your first semester. From staying organized to getting involved, a little preparation can go a long way!

Save this for your first week and share it with a future freshman! 📚👀

09/04/2026

It’s Faculty Friday: Meet Aaron Humble

Program Director of Dance Studies, Grammy-nominated tenor and conductor Aaron Humble has performed with ensembles across the U.S. and internationally, including the Boston Pops and Cantus, with nearly 1,000 concerts and 10 recorded albums.

This season, catch Aaron performing with Bach Collegium San Diego, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, San Diego Baroque, and La Jolla Symphony from October through April along with many more performances.

🎶 Upcoming Performances

📍October 16–18
Bach Collegium San Diego — Salzburg Connections: Mozart & Michael Haydn

📍November 13–15
True Concord Voices & Orchestra — Voices United: European Folk Music
Tucson, AZ

📍November 19
Camarada on Campus — 12 PM, ARTS 111

📍December 3
Camarada — Starry Night: Mingle at the Mingei

📍December 11–13
Bach Collegium San Diego — El Mesías, G.F. Handel

📍December 12
San Diego Baroque — Bach Magnificat

📍December 16
True Concord Voices & Orchestra — Holiday Tidings
Tucson, AZ

📍March 13–14
La Jolla Symphony —
Mozart Requiem

📍April 16–18
True Concord Voices & Orchestra — Latin (In)Fusion
Tucson, AZ

09/02/2026

✨ Cal State University Stanislaus Art Gallery presents STEPHANIE DEUMER: Photosynthetics 🎨🌿

Come see art that’s literally growing. Photosynthetics features glowing photographic lightboxes that double as terrariums—where plants use the artwork’s light to sprout and photosynthesize throughout the exhibition. Yep, art + nature + science = main-character energy.

Deumer’s images spotlight weathered garden statues inspired by Greek and Roman figures, exploring nature, culture, power, gender, and time. Sun, snow, moss, insects, and more slowly reclaim these human-made forms—blurring what’s natural and what’s artificial.

Join us in celebrating the work of one of our faculty artists and experience the creativity happening within our School of Arts community.

🗓️ Aug. 24–Oct. 9, 2026
📍 University Art Gallery
One University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382
🕐 MTWF: 12–4 PM | Thu: 12–9 PM | and by appointment

Come through, get inspired, and touch some grass—artistically. 🌱

08/31/2026

🎒✨ A new semester is here, and there’s a lot to look forward to! As you get back into the swing of things, remember to check your schedule, find your classrooms, arrive early, and come prepared. Take some time to explore the Arts building, meet new people, get involved in SoFA events and activities, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Whether you’re creating, performing, designing, or discovering something new, make this semester one to remember. Welcome back, SoFA! 🎨🎭🎶💃

08/28/2026

🎹It’s Faculty Friday, meet Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng

Full Professor and Chair of Music at CSUSM. A dedicated pianist, performer, and educator, she has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally in Taiwan, Japan, and China.

At CSUSM, she helped establish the Music Major and the region’s first All-Steinway School. She was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023 and has received the Steinway Top Music Teacher Award every year since 2016.

🎶 UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
🌊Nov. 8, 2026 — Music by the Sea
🎼Jan.–Feb. 2027 — Villa-Lobos International Chamber Music Festival
🎶Mar. 28, 2027 — Beethoven 200th Anniversary Program
🎵May 30, 2027 — Performance with Eugene Drucker

Follow along for more from CSUSM School of Arts! 🎨🎭🎶💃

08/26/2026

Tell us what YOU want to see! 👇

What do you want to see from SoFA this semester? 🎨🎭🎶💃

More behind-the-scenes content? Faculty spotlights? Events? Opportunities to get involved?

Drop your ideas in the comments and help us shape what’s next! ✨

08/14/2026

Meet Judit Hersko!!

Judit Hersko is the Chair of Arts, Media & Design at CSUSM, and her work brings together art and science in some pretty unexpected ways.

For more than 20 years, she’s worked alongside scientists to turn climate research into visual art, installations and stories that make complex ideas feel more personal.

Her work has taken her from the Venice Biennale to Antarctica, and most recently, on a 2025 sailing expedition through the Arctic Circle.

Hersko is also known for her “performance lectures,” where she combines storytelling, sculpture, fact and fiction while bringing attention to women in science whose stories have often been overlooked.

From the studio to some of the coldest places on Earth, Hersko’s work shows just how much art and science can have to say to each other💙

08/13/2026

Curious who we are? 👀 Meet the creative side of CSUSM

Four departments. Incredible professors. One creative home. 🎨🎭🎶🩰

At the School of Arts, creativity doesn’t fit into one box:
🎨 Art, Media & Design — find your voice and make it visual.
🎶 Music — perform it, produce it, teach it, create it. Your path, your sound.
🎭 Theatre Arts — turn your stories, ideas and experiences into something that moves people.
🩰 Dance Studies — move with purpose, explore today’s world and build community along the way.

Different mediums. Different perspectives. Same drive to create.
So… where do you fit? 👀 Tell us in the comments below!!!

Swipe through and meet the departments. 👉

08/12/2026

SEATS STILL AVAILABLE FOR FALL 2026:
AMD 122: SURVEY OF WORLD CINEMA
Instructor: Award-Winning Filmmaker RAJEE SAMARASINGHE
Tuesdays: 5:30 - 8:20 PM
In-Person

05/14/2026

🎨✨ You’re invited to an afternoon + evening full of art, music, and celebration!

Join us for our 2026 Arts Showcase featuring student exhibitions, live performances, interactive activities, and our main event honoring David Avalos

🕑 Starts at 2 PM
🎶 Live music, dance, and performances throughout
🚶‍♀️ Don’t miss “Let’s Walk” + gallery experiences
💚 5–6:15 PM: Main Event + Plaque Dedication
🌙 Ends at 8 PM
Bring your friends, explore the Arts Building, and celebrate creativity in all its forms 💫
LiveArt CampusEvents

Address

San Marcos, CA

Website

http://www.csusm.edu/sofa

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