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Students walk through art gallery

About Us

Our Mission

The mission of CSU Summer Arts is to empower people through excellence and innovation in arts education, exhibition, and performance.

Art enriches, colors, and fills our lives. CSU Summer Arts provides innovative education, exhibition, and performances to enhance your knowledge, skills, and appreciation of the arts. Your experience with CSU Summer Arts—whether as artist or audience member—is sure to nurture your artistic spirit and elevate your thinking about creative expression.

CSU Summer Arts is an international summer arts program of master classes and a festival of the arts. It’s where profound learning and entertainment converge, creating an inspired and empowering educational environment. It’s where students live, work, and learn alongside world-renowned professionals, and it’s where the public can view this life-changing work.

WHO WE SERVE

CSU Summer Arts is a national and international program of the California State University. We serve all of California, and beyond. In addition to students and faculty from the CSU, California Community Colleges, and the University of California, we also invite public school teachers, student artists and faculty from private schools and colleges throughout the United States, working professionals, and qualified international students to enroll.

Contact Us

Email Us

Main Office

Office of the Chancellor
401 Golden Shore, 2nd Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 951-4060

Summer Office

CSU Summer Arts, Fresno State
5005 N. Maple Avenue
Fresno, CA 93740
(559) 365-7274

Staff

 

RACHEL MAY SMITH
RACHEL MAY SMITH, PH.D. 
DIRECTOR
rsmith@calstate.edu
(562) 951-4788
 
JOANNE SHARP
JOANNE SHARP
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SUMMER ARTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
jsharp@calstate.edu
(562) 951-4065
 
SHANNON PRINGLE
SHANNON PRINGLE
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION & MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL
springle@calstate.edu
(562) 951-4068

 
Laura Schultz
LAURA SCHULTZ
BUSINESS MANAGER
lschultz@calstate.edu
(562) 951-4067
 
SONYA CABELLO
SONYA CABELLO
PROGRAMS ​​SPECIALIST
scabello@calstate.edu
(562) 951-4851
 ​
Suzanne Crosina-Sahm
SUZANNE CROSINA-SAHM
COMM​UNITY RELATIONS SPECIALIST

HISTORY

CSU Summer Arts was created to meet the needs of the arts students of the CSU and to​ supplement the programs of the CSU's large and diverse arts colleges.​

From a 1985 meeting of an arts faculty institute in the woods of Kirkwood, California, CSU Summer Arts began initially as a summer dance program on the campus of Cal State Long Beach.

A year later, because of overwhelming student needs, Summer Arts' curriculum expanded to include various arts genres. In 1990, the Media Arts Festival was added.


MEDIA

For media inquiries, please contact summerarts@calstate.edu.