Community Innovation Hub Showcases CPP Student Art in Downtown Pomona
The Community Innovation Hub recently partnered with the College of Environmental Design to transform the Hub into a vibrant gallery space.
The project provided students with the opportunity to showcase their artwork beyond campus in a community-centered setting in downtown Pomona.
The student art exhibition featured paintings, mixed media pieces and visual storytelling works created by environmental design students. The event welcomed students, faculty, staff, residents and community partners to engage with the artwork while strengthening connections between the university and the city of Pomona.
The partnership created experiential learning opportunities for students by giving them the chance to curate, install, and present their artwork in a public-facing environment beyond the traditional classroom.
“This impressive student art exhibit at the Community Innovation Hub is a great example of deepening our connection with the city of Pomona,” said Dean Mary Anne Akers, College of Environmental Design. “I believe it’s important for students to realize that being part of the local community is part of the polytechnic advantage. I am grateful to the Hub for providing an opportunity to demonstrate their creative skills and growth.”
Akers shared the students described the experience of the exhibition as impactful.
“The students told me that this experience of curating and installing the work themselves was eye-opening,” Akers said. “What touched me was their use of mixed media to express their identity and inner voices, in ways that words alone cannot. More power to our students!”
The Community Innovation Hub serves as a collaborative downtown Pomona space designed to foster creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation and community engagement. Through workshops, programs and events, the Hub connects Cal Poly Pomona with students, faculty, staff and community members through hands-on learning experiences and community-centered initiatives.
Recent workshops and events hosted at the Hub have included entrepreneurship and small business workshops, coffee education and brewing sessions, wellness and healing-centered programming, and creative community events that bring together the CPP community with local organizations and residents.
For participating students, the exhibition created a meaningful opportunity to connect with the local community while gaining hands-on experience presenting their work in a professional gallery setting.
“Events like this help give CPP student artists a platform to gain exposure and showcase their ever-growing craft on a wider level,” said Mia Cherry, a visual communication design student. “It was incredibly fulfilling as an artist to see me and my peers’ artwork be prominently displayed, viewed and appreciated by the local Pomona community.”
Ruthie Johns, a visual communication design student, reflected on the inspiration behind her artwork and the opportunity to engage with visitors during the exhibition.
“My two paintings were driven by a return to naturalism and appreciation for life during the new age of AI transformation,” Johns said. “These pieces are also commemorative to my growth at Cal Poly Pomona, and as a result of my learning journey I was able to share my creative process with viewers at the Community Innovation Hub. I loved being able to speak on the lessons I had learned through my experience of painting and hear valuable thoughts from the community about my work.”
The exhibition reflects the Community Innovation Hub’s mission of fostering creativity, innovation, and community engagement by creating opportunities for students to collaborate and share their work with an audience beyond campus.
Community members interested in attending future exhibitions and events can stay connected by visiting the Community Innovation Hub’s website, following the Hub on social media, or contact them directly at thehub@cpp.edu.