Cal State University San Bernardino held the Young Artists Gallery on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The competition, called the Art Call, showcased art from high school and middle school students within San Bernardino County.
The contest had different sections where students could submit their work, such as the digital arts, mixed media, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture/3D/wood, and multimedia.
Junior Sophia Whittaker was awarded second place in the digital arts category. The title of her work was “Rot Ott: The Cyberpuk Skater.”
“So my inspiration was from my cousin Seth,” Whittaker said. “He used to be like a super, super good skateboarder; he doesn’t skateboard professionally or anything, but he’s just like the coolest, and he’s always been like a super motivated athlete. I went to visit him right before I drew that piece, and I was like oh my gosh, what if I combine like his skateboarding skills with like some cool futuristic look cause I just love futuristic looks.”
Whittaker is currently enrolled in Graphics 1 with Ms. Lisset Arrendando, so her piece was entirely digital. She used Procreate, allowing her to add bright neon colors and add dimension to the background of her piece.
Whittaker said she first started out thinking she would draw a robot doing a flip on a skateboard. Her original idea transitioned into a parkour-type character.
Whittaker wanted to show how a character on a canvas could feel real. The background and the character itself included little details that Whittaker added to make the character feel more alive. Even down to the phrase on the skateboard: “ENERGY” is the phrase on her own skateboard that her cousin Seth gifted to her, adding these little details helped Whittaker personalize her piece even more.
Each art teacher had four submissions and could sign students up to be entered into the competition and have their work featured in the Dutton Gallery. Rancho Cucamonga High School teachers who participated included Arrendando, Ms. Carissa Gamboa, Ms. Kathryn Coon, and Mr. Lawrence Prince.
“I don’t just look for great pieces of art. I really look at the students and like them pouring themselves into it. Maybe taking an unconventional path or maybe just where they might start the piece and come back and revise it, and it’s even better than the first time,” Coon said.
The event began at 6:00 p.m., and the award ceremonies started shortly after, followed by a reception and open house. CSUSB students hosted workshops, including screen printing, where guests could bring home their own screenprints. The event also featured open classrooms to see inside art classes like woodshop and photography.
(Photo courtesy: Wendy Fang )
Freshman Wendy Fang received third place in the mixed media category for her artwork titled “A Hold of Difference.”
The plaque by Fang’s display explained how she used different materials to qualify for the “mixed media” award. According to Wang, she began with a light sketch using 2B pencils and used Prismacolor pencils for coloring the piece. She worked on the hair using alcohol and water-based markers and outlined it with a Sharpie. The hands and background were colored using paint markers. Then, oil pastels were used for the shadows on the body. To finish her piece, she sealed it with a fixative.
Similar to Whittiker, Fang wanted to make the character seem more personal and alive.
“I guess I just wanted to do something with a character I liked drawing a lot, and I really wanted to capture the face mostly, since that’s the most prominent part,” Fang said.
The art teachers shared how proud they were of their art students. Coon said she enjoys seeing her students’ passion for art. She said students set up their supplies immediately when class starts and even ask to come in after school to work on their projects.
“Coming from the lens of a graphic design teacher, they’re both [Fang and Whittiker], I would say at the top percent of students,” Arredondo said. “They work hard, they focus, they’re not distracted, and they love art, you can tell. I feel like they’ve both grown in my classroom, and as well as their own media and style that they bring to their work.”
Fang said that this was her first art contest, and while she was nervous at first, the more time she spent at the gallery, the more confident she felt.
“Seeing a lot of the stuff online, there’s people like, ‘I drew this when I was this age’ and I felt like I should be like that too. But I realized ‘what’s the point of doing that? When I can go at my own pace and create what I want,” Fang said.
Many other young artists shared that they also felt nervous presenting their pieces, but the gallery was created for students to have a welcoming introduction into the art scene, creating a less intimidating and more supportive space.
“I think, honestly, the biggest challenge for me is to trust myself because I really don’t. I’m really somebody that if I feel like I’m not doing something right and everyone’s telling me I’m doing it okay, then I really need to come back to myself and say, ‘Hey, I got this, I know what I’m doing.’ I just have to trust the process,” Whittaker said.
The CSUSB art department prides itself on being a safe place for artists to express themselves creatively and authentically.
In addition to Whittaker and Fang, senior Jack Galo also received an honorable mention for his piece “Last Goodnight.”
“[The art classroom] becomes kind of like a place where you get to just be yourself and create. I encourage all artists to continue creating in whatever way they feel good. Whether it is music, singing, or photography. Just keep going,” Arrendando said.
