Jeff Colson
Jeff Colson
American Artist

CSU Bakersfield

B.A. Fine Arts (1979)
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  • Jeff Colson is an internationally acclaimed artist, recently described by the Los Angeles Times as a “wizard of illusion”. With years of experience and mentorship from many talented artists, Colson had his first art exhibition in 1989.
  • In 2012, Jeff was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship.
  • His work has been showcased around the world in places such as the Sammlung Rosenkranz Collection in Wuppertal, Germany; The Fundacion / Coleccion, Mexico City; Ace Gallery, Los Angeles; Griffin Contemporary, Venice, California; Angles Gallery, Santa Monica; Karsten Greve, Paris; Sammlung Rosenkranz Collection, Von der Heydt-Museu, Wuppertal, Germany; Leo Castelli Gallery, New York; Mars Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; Blue Star Art Space, San Antonio, Texas; and Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver.
  • His work is in the collections of institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
  • He has returned to CSUB numerous times to participate in alumni art exhibitions and lectures. Jeff and his brother, Greg, are the first alumni from the Department of Fine Arts to be inducted into the CSU Bakersfield Alumni Hall of Fame.
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Notable CSU Alumni in artists & authors

Rae ArmantroutSan Francisco
Professor of Writing and Literature, University of California, San Diego

San Francisco State

M.A. Creative Writing (1975)
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Mary F. CalvertSan Francisco
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Raynor CarrollLos Angeles
Principal Percussionist, Los Angeles Philharmonic

Cal State LA

B.A. Music (1984)
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Greg ColsonBakersfield
American Artist

CSU Bakersfield

B.A. Fine Arts (1978)
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Michelle DeYoungNorthridge
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Sid FleischmanSan Diego
Author

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B.A. English (1949)
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Ernest GainesSan Francisco
Author

San Francisco State​

B.A. Literature (1957)
Danny GloverSan Francisco
Actor

San Francisco State​

B.A. Political Science (1971)
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artists & authors
Bakersfield