As part of the Mary Sesnon Porter’s Sesnon Art Gallery’s goal to place a greater emphasis on faculty, students, and alumni, they are opening the new school year with an exhibition featuring the work of Doyle Foreman. The professor emeritus retired 20 years ago and is in his nineties, and Sculptures by Doyle Foreman: A Retrospective, which runs through Dec. 7, will highlight his decades-long career and dedication to art.
Foreman joined the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1968, three years after the school’s founding. He was the first Black professor hired in the Arts Division. “We’re really trying to honor one of the most influential artists in our faculty,” says Valéria Miranda, the director of the Sesnon Gallery.
In his artistic career, most of Foreman’s work centered on bronze sculptures. According to Miranda, Doyle was set apart from other Black sculptors at the time due to his use of abstraction, whereas other works were figurative. Miranda describes his sculptures as “beautiful and powerful and calming.”
Working with bronze led Foreman to create a foundry on campus, allowing him to teach about the medium he worked in. Though other UC schools have included foundries in their history, the one of the UC Santa Cruz campus is the only one remaining. Sean Michael Monaghan, who is a lecturer whom teaches classes in the foundry, was one of Foreman’s students while he was still teaching.
Foreman’s work also has heavy influences from nature, which pairs well with the campus greenery at the start of the new school year. “I actually just spoke with a student that was telling me how amazing it is to return to campus, because it's so calm and beautiful,” says Miranda. “Doyle Foreman’s work is full of references to nature, so I think that's something that makes it meaningful to be the first exhibition of the year.”
Sculptures by Doyle Foreman: A Retrospective aims to highlight the history of local art, and the significance of a man who greatly contributed to the UC Santa Cruz campus. Along with the exhibition itself, there will be other events including an opening ceremony and an artist talk to learn more about Doyle and his work.
More Information
Exhibition Celebration
October 9, 2024: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Artist Talk
November 6, 2024: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Gallery Hours
Tues. – Sat.: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Wed.: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery
UC Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California 95064
Lot 124 & 125 are the closest parking lots to the gallery
Parking is $5 via ParkMobile or online permit
TAPS provides additional parking information
