That's what artist and Cal State San Bernardino educator Jo Thompson would like to see.

She'll get a chance to express her view this fall as part of the "Envisioning the Future" collaborative art project with feminist artist Judy Chicago.

"She's one of my heroines," Thompson said of Chicago. "All people my age know who Judy Chicago is, all the women artists at least."

Chicago's most well-known work, "The Dinner Party," was created between 1974 and 1979 with the participation of hundreds of volunteers. It is a triangular table with 39 place settings, each commemorating a goddess, historic or other important woman. It uses ceramics, china-painting and needlework. The collaborative project is one of Chicago's trademarks.

"The idea of the artist working alone in the garrets is really a male thing," Thompson said. "Women's way of working is a little different."

Thompson was chosen for the 10-member painting group. The collaborative project also has mural, sculpture, installation, video and three photography groups. Chicago and nationally recognized photographer Donald Woodman are leading the groups, which will exhibit their artwork in several spots starting in January.

Thompson has been a professional painter, printmaker, papermaker, pastel artist and gallery owner. But her current day job is computers. She shows faculty and staff at Cal State San Bernardino how to use their computers. She also teaches classroom technology to future teachers in the College of Education.

While researching for the Gather the Women conference she helped plan at Cal State this spring, Thompson learned of the project.

"(This) is a real chance to get back to my own thing and expand what I want to do," Thompson said while sipping coffee on her front porch swing in her tree-filled Riverside neighborhood.

The project will include images of the future: personal, community or global.

"Nobody really knows what it's going to look like," Thompson said.

The groups first met in May to discuss the project. This summer, the artists are plowing though a four-page reading list that covers everything from feminism to futurism. Much of the reading list focuses on the evolution of art and art's role in the community.

"It's all stuff I've been thinking about on my own and read about, questions I've had over the years," Thompson said.

Thompson sees art becoming more democratic and accessible.

"Instead of our image of the art world just being galleries, within the community we'll have more collaborative art," Thompson said. "Art just isn't this elite sort of thing, everyone has art expression as part of their nature."

At the Gather the Women conference and community workshops, Thompson pushes people who don't picture themselves as artists to create. In her "100 Hearts" project, she encouraged people to draw 100 hearts over a period of time as a kind of medi tation. Remnants of her 100 Hearts fill her home.

She explained the project as she walked though her 1912 home, past her parakeets, up narrow wooden stairs to her airy, decid edly feminine studio.

"It's a great spot," she said, "like being in a tree house."

It's a nice change she said, from windowless studios in industrial parts. This space is filled with its easels and canvases, paint and pastel covered tables and an an tique velvet love seat in dusty rose.

"I needed a place to sit back and think," she said. "The cats love it too."

In September the groups will meet again to hear lectures, watch videos and brainstorm. Then, the artists will work to gether in studios at Cal Poly Pomona's downtown center. The College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Po mona, the Pomona Arts Colony and many community partners are sponsoring the program. "This will bring attention to the Inland Empire," Thompson said. "I'm so glad they're doing it out here, not in L.A. You can find really good artists in your local community."

For more information, check on line at www.envisioningthefuture.org ture.org or www.jothompsonart.com ompsonart.com.