HSU First Street Gallery (later known as the HSU Third Street Gallery) was a
contemporary
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
,
fine arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
gallery located in the
E. Janssen Building
The E. Janssen Building at 422 First Street, Eureka, California, is a two-story Italianate commercial building. It was built in 1875 to be a hardware and general merchandise store. In 1973, it was the first building in Eureka to be placed on the ...
at 422 1st Street (later moved to 416 3rd Street) in the historic
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
district of
Eureka, California
Eureka (Wiyot: ''Jaroujiji'', Hupa: ''do'-wi-lotl-ding'', Karuk: ''uuth'') is the principal city and county seat of Humboldt County in the Redwood Empire region of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt ...
. The gallery, which supported the Exhibition Programs of
Humboldt State University
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt also known as Cal Poly Humboldt, Humboldt or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California or California State Polytechnic Universi ...
, was an off-campus, non-profit student-oriented public outreach program and gallery which showcased regional, national and international artists, as well as art by faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the university.
In September 2018, the university closed the gallery during a round of budget cuts.
Mission
First Street Gallery was charged with the mission of providing the North Coast community of California and the community of Humboldt State University with access to contemporary art by regional, national and international artists, as well as providing a visiting artists program. Within the gallery, HSU students prepared, installed, managed and curated the exhibitions. The students worked in conjunction with HSU's Museum and Gallery Practices program through the HSU Art Department, while emphasizing the importance of environmentally conscious practices. Additionally, the students in HSU's Art Education program utilized the exhibitions as a resource for their curriculum while working with local K-12 students. The First Street Gallery stated that its goal was to create a dialogue about important contemporary cultural issues with the community. With an emphasis on encouraging and facilitating local interest in the arts, HSU First Street Gallery had, from 1998 to 2018, produced numerous exhibitions of contemporary art in a wide array of art forms.
History
First Street Gallery was founded in 1998 by Humboldt State University. The gallery received over 20,000 visitors a year.
Programs
First Street Gallery was a learning environment for students from the Museum and Gallery Practices Program. The HSU Art Education Program used the First Street Gallery as a service learning site for teaching local K-12 students. First Street Gallery brought national and international artists to HSU through the Visiting Artists Program, with the stated purpose of providing to California's North Coast, an expanded, in-depth exposure to new art forms that would otherwise be unavailable to the local population.
Events
On the first Saturday of every month the First Street Gallery participated in the local arts promotion event of Arts Alive!, in which Eureka's galleries and museums are open to the public together with new exhibitions, shows, theater and musical performances. During this event, First Street Gallery hosted an opening reception for its exhibitions. This presented an opportunity for the public to meet with the artists exhibiting at the gallery.
References
External links
First Street Gallerywebpage
Third Street Gallerywebpage
Humboldt State University
{{Humboldt State University
Contemporary art galleries in the United States
1998 establishments in California
Art museums and galleries in California
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
Buildings and structures in Eureka, California
Tourist attractions in Eureka, California
Art galleries established in 1998
2018 disestablishments in California
Art galleries disestablished in 2018