The Titan Student Union Gallery sat brightly colorful on Wednesday afternoon, with rows of student artwork covering the walls, grabbing people’s attention as they walked in.
The Fall 2025 Art Show, hosted by Associated Students in the TSU Center Gallery, invited attendees to stop by, grab free food and walk around the gallery at their own pace, taking in artwork that ranged from personal stories to experimental designs.
The display featured a wide mix of styles and media created by students from across the campus, giving visitors a chance to see the variety of creativity represented at Cal State Fullerton.
Third-year transfer student and studio art major, Samantha Silva, was one of the 57 students who submitted their work for the showcase. She shared that her piece, “Impact and Innocence,” is personal and inspired by nostalgia and her childhood.
“This one is a little bit more personal. It’s more like a story that made me who I am today,” Silva said. “And it’s more about transforming the old me versus the new me. And it’s kind of like, ‘For the worse or for the better, this is who I am today.’”
Silva spent nearly 80 hours on the acrylic painting and although she still sees areas she wants to improve in the piece, she said she finds it rewarding to see others stop and admire her work.
The art show hosted in the fall semester never follows a theme, according to Brooke Ramirez, a fourth-year human services major and ASI art programs and exhibits lead. Instead, the show allows students to submit any type of artwork, with the only requirement being that it meets the dimensions to accommodate the display of multiple pieces.
Artists who submit their work are eligible for first, second and third place, where ribbons are placed next to the winning pieces in the gallery.
Among the various submissions, a symbolic self-portrait by third-year transfer student and studio art major Samantha Sanchez was immediately noticeable as attendees walked into the gallery.
“For me, growing up, my hair was always a big part of my identity. My family always really loved girls with long hair, so I always grew attached to my hair and I always felt it was part of my identity,” Sanchez said. “That’s why I incorporated a bunch of flowing, tentacle-like tendrils of hair.”
Sanchez also shared that the incorporation of stars placed above the head in the painting represents her identity as an artist, and this additional detail connects back to her explosive creativity.
While the process of acrylic painting seemed intimidating at first, she discovered that acrylic painting is much more forgiving than other methods, resulting in her displayed artwork.
Within all the artists at the showcase stood attendees and supporters taking time to view the pieces. One student who attended the event to support a friend was Isis Leon, a third-year sociology major. She was impressed to see all the talent and hard work of CSUF student artists.
“It’s really nice to see how talented art majors are here,” Leon said. “It reminds me that a lot of people here are working toward their own goal and there’s a lot of really talented people.”
As the afternoon went on, students continued to move through the gallery, stopping to share reactions and support the artists who contributed. The show provided a glimpse into the creative range of CSUF students, offering many a platform for self-expression.
“I think with art, it’s a very vulnerable thing, so I think just seeing students being able to put their art out there and be able to show it to everyone is just so beautiful to me,” Ramirez said. “I hope that, through our art show, that they’re able to have that vulnerability and be able to express themselves with others.”