2024 Day of Giving

Support us as we educate students in art and art history!

We strive every day to ensure that students receive a quality education that will set them up for success after they graduate. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of people like YOU in our community!

In addition to raising money to support students, we are also raising money to honor the legacy of professor Sam Hernández with the purchase of a sculpture for the department. This work, Hyde Park Café, will have a permanent home in the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building and be a reminder of his legacy as a teacher in the Department of Art and Art History. If you would like to contribute towards this goal, please include "Sam Hernández" in the special instructions when giving. 

Sam Hernández, described as “a giant of the art department,” taught art for 37 years at Santa Clara and was instrumental in developing the program from its small beginnings to its robust presence in the life of the University. He served as chair of the department and became the first studio arts faculty member to receive tenure. An inspiring teacher, Sam rarely repeated class projects or assignments, preferring to keep things fresh by drawing on his wide-ranging interests in global as well as regional arts and culture. As he wrote at the time of his retirement, “That I was able to achieve some success…has been underscored by letters I have received from our alums who have gone on to become doctors or dentists or lawyers (as well as successful designers, exhibiting artists, and art teachers)…telling me that the experiences they shared in my classes have made their world a fuller and more complete one. A teacher cannot ask for more.” 

 

Above, left: Ceramic sculpture class taught by Professor Jimenez; right: Professor Clydesdale with her C&I students in an outdoor classroom.

Hear from our alumni and faculty!

“My experience at Santa Clara gave me the tools needed to build a solid foundation for my career in the arts.  What’s unique about Santa Clara is its commitment to a holistic education.”

– Ciaran Freeman '18, Studio Art and Art History
Studio Art Teacher, Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C.

“As a television programming executive, I owe my career success all to my Art History education; where I not only gained exceptional critical reasoning skills, but more specifically the ability to communicate about visual art forms (in my case, tv shows) in a persuasive way."

– Courtney Haney '10, Art History
Executive Director, International Programming & Editorial Strategy for Starz

“I found my passion, my inspiration, and my craft, and I am so thankful for every way the art department has affected my life as an artist.”

– Mariana Galindo '06, Studio Art
Technical Director, Pixar Animation Studios

“The most important aspect of our job is to produce this next generation of creative types.”

– Ryan Carrington, Studio Art Faculty 

“Art History majors attain cultural literacy, preparing them to be global citizens."

– Andrea Pappas, Art History Faculty