Ridley Gallery

The gallery exhibits high caliber work of leading regional, national, and international artists, as well as faculty artists, alumni, and students in seven shows throughout the academic year. Recurring annual exhibitions include the Hallberg Award Exhibition, the Holiday Show and Sale, and the Annual Juried Student Exhibition.

Located on the Rocklin campus of Sierra College, this 1000-square-foot gallery was dedicated in the spring of 1998. The gallery is named in memory of Robert Ridley, an art professor who long believed a college gallery would enrich the cultural experience and understanding of students through exposure to local and nationally recognized artists.

An advisory board and part-time director administer the Ridley Gallery and coordinate planning and exhibits. Student workers and Sierra College Patrons volunteers provide staffing during gallery hours.

Now Showing: Feb. 10 – Mar. 13, 2025

John Yoyogi Fortes, Riding the Hyphen

The Ridley Gallery is excited to start of the Spring Semester with a new exhibition of work by celebrated Sacramento artist John Yoyogi Fortes.

Fortes is a Filipino-American artist whose multi-layered works explore the physical and psychological landscapes of self. Working across painting, drawing, installation, and video, his practice weaves together influences from Filipino culture, comics, pop culture, nature, and history. Often marked by dark humor and wordplay, his works create an obscure world where a fusion of artistic styles challenges conventional boundaries.

His work has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States, Venezuela, Japan, the Philippines and Norway, and is held in the permanent collections of the Asian American Art Centre in New York, the Nevada Museum of Art, and the Crocker Art Museum and Triton Art Museum in California. Fortes has also been the recipient of many prestigious arts awards including a grant from the Joan Mitchell foundation for Painters and Sculptors, and artist residencies at Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, Nebraska the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. More recently, he received a fellowship at KALA Art Institute in Berkeley, California.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Fortes and his family migrated to San Francisco, California when he was five years old. He later attended California State University, Fresno, where he studied under artist and musician Terry Allen and conceptual artist Charles Gaines. Fortes currently resides in Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughter.

Visit the Display

• Location: Ridley Gallery in LR-102 on Rocklin Campus
• Hours: Monday – Thursday, 11am – 3pm or by appointment
• Exhibition Dates: Monday, Feb. 10 – Thursday, Mar. 13
• Reception and Artist Talk: Wednesday, Feb. 19, 4 – 6pm

Past Exhibits

View our image gallery of exhibits featured at the Ridley Gallery.