Wonderful Inaugural Semester at Cal State San Bernardino!
Rebecca Tuynman with CSUSB Spring Semester class
By Rebecca Tuynman, Director of Education
In January 2026, after years of planning and preparation, Ryman Arts opened its Cal State San Bernardino campus! We welcomed a class of 26 students – spread over a morning and an afternoon Saturday class – taught by veteran Ryman Arts faculty member Kaleeka Bond. Ryman Arts students always prove themselves to be fantastic, and this group was no different. Their dedication was especially present; they worked incredibly hard – and it showed in their artwork.
CSUSB students and their artwork
Student Nicole F. shared, “Attending this semester gave me experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I’m really happy I got to come every Saturday to work on my art with awesome mentors and classmates who I’ve learned a lot from.”
As Director of Education, I felt that same sense of excitement and gratitude. It was important to me to make sure that our new campus got off to a strong start, so I was there each Saturday in both an administrative and teaching assistant role - filing homework, setting up still lifes, and really getting to know our students. It was so rewarding to see them bloom from hesitant newcomers the first day to confident artistic colleagues sharing their work and ideas during the end-of-semester potluck Kaleeka organizes. Most of the students had never stood at an easel, worked from a live model, or presented their work in front of a class during a critique session. It was a real gift to witness this amount of growth and creative development.
Student in Foundation Drawing at CSUSB
We expanded our reach to include schools we had never reached before. Our students came from twelve different high schools, the following for the first time:
Beaumont High School, Beaumont, Riverside County
Cobalt Institute of Math & Science, Victorville, San Bernardino County
Rancho Verde High School, Moreno Valley, Riverside County
The Grove School, Redlands, San Bernardino County
Twentynine Palms High School, San Bernardino County
Vista del Lago High School, Moreno Valley, Riverside County
Vista Murrieta High School, Murrieta, Riverside County
Adding a location in the Inland Empire is an important program milestone, significantly increasing our reach and access. I hope Ryman Arts classes at Cal State San Bernardino’s wonderful studio art facilities continue for decades to come, creating opportunities for more young artists than ever to build their foundation skills in a college environment and alongside a community of other dedicated teen artists. I’m grateful to have had the privilege of getting to be so closely embedded with this wonderful first class.