'RAIN' on exhibit at Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum

Oct. 1, 2009

By Public Affairs Staff

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - "Rain cleanses and quenches. It gifts and curses. It stirs up old memories and creates backdrops for the new ones," says artist Tomoko Suzuki, who offers a fresh perspective on the precipitation more commonly known for gloomy weather.

"Rain" will be on display at Cal State San Bernardino's Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum Oct. 1-Feb. 20. A reception for the show will be held today, Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5-7 p.m., with a preview for Friends of the Museum at 4:30 p.m.

Suzuki describes her pieces as containing symbols that are repeated and layered, and inspired by atmospheric elements. "In this exhibition, I mainly focused on raindrops, which have been my obsession for the last few years," says Suzuki. "I long for rain to come."

Her artistic focus has been predominantly human figures and their emotions. Recently, she has introduced different symbols inspired by natural elements, such as rain, water, wind and fire. Suzuki's new endeavor is to merge those elements in rich layers and create scenes that suggest a scenario open for interpretation. She is interested in the struggles and obstacles that one faces in life and presenting them in a positive way as catalysts to the process of human growth.

Born in Japan, Suzuki realized her passion for art after moving to the United States in her early 20s. As an undergraduate and graduate student, she studied printmaking, receiving her B.F.A. from Bradley University in Illinois and M.F.A. from Cal State Long Beach. Suzuki has been exhibiting her work nationwide for nearly 10 years. Currently, she works diligently on her art, while taking care of her 2-year-old daughter and teaching part-time.

Established in 1996, CSUSB's Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum has accumulated a permanent collection of nearly 1,200 objects focusing on Egyptian antiquities, ceramics and contemporary art. With more than 7,500 square feet of gallery space, the RVF Art Museum magnificently displays a wide variety of art work from its permanent holdings to a dynamic schedule of visiting exhibitions.

Last year, the Fullerton Art Museum gained the highest national recognition a museum can receive - accreditation from the American Association of Museums. With that, it joined only 4 percent of the museums accredited by AAM in the country.

General admission: $3. CSUSB students, faculty and staff and children under the age of 6 are free. Discounts are available for senior citizens and groups. Parking is $5 per vehicle.

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday. For more information, call (909) 537-7373, or visit museum.csusb.edu.

Rain will be on display at Cal State San Bernardino's Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum Oct. 1-Feb. 20. A reception for the show will be held Thursday.