Pete Moye’
Arts Button

Associate professor and Department Chair of Photography at Cerritos College Christina Fernandez has not only been successful as a professor for students, but also as a working artist.

In the spring semester, the Smithsonian Institution contacted Fernandez and made her an offer of $20,000 for the 6-photo series, “Maria’s Great Expedition.”

Fernandez illustrates through photographs her great grandmother’s travels through the Southwest region of the United States.

The series was completed in 1996 during Fernandez’s time at the California Institute of the Arts. The Mexican Museum of San Francisco approached Fernandez to do the photo narrative.

On Sept. 9, the finalization came through for “Maria’s Great Expedition,” making it into the permanent collection of the Smithsonian. This would be a major achievement for the work, according to Fernandez.

Photography student Patricia Defibaugh said, “I was very impressed, I thought it was very cool. It really got me to understand, you have to have ideas about art and to create something new. It’s not just about taking pretty pictures.”

Fernandez started as an artist, focusing on painting, printmaking and sculpture at Pasadena City College.

She later transferred to UCLA for her undergraduate degree where she took a photography course and decided that she wanted to go into fine art photography.

Fernandez was one of more than 300 applicants to be chosen by the California Community Foundation to receive a mid-career grant in spring.

“Mid-Career Fellowship is basically a stamp of approval for your work as a Los Angeles artist, artist of note or people that have contributed to the art scene in Los Angeles. It’s quite an honor to get the fellowship,” Fernandez said.

With the grant given to Fernandez, she is planning to create a hallmark for herself by making an archive, design a publish-on-demand book and develop a website.

“I think one of the most important things about being a working artist and bringing that to the classroom is that whoever thinks artwork is an impossible thing, can see in me and my life that artwork is a possible thing,” Fernandez said.

The achievements of Fernandez are brought back to the classroom to show her students that art is a viable way of life and continues to help and inspire them.

Juan Valenzuela, lab tech, said, “She’s helped me a lot professionally and personally in photography and in my career path.

“As a fine artist, she’s really guided me, motivates me and talks me through my personal voice through my work.”

Photography professor Edward Heckerman said, “As a teacher, you open yourself up to your students, so that they can get to know you and feel more comfortable and relate to you on a personal level.

“I think that when she does that at the same time, it keeps things very professional.”