Meet the Jurors

Alison Ragguette

Alison Ragguette has developed an expansive approach to making studio pottery, sculpture, and large-scale ceramic murals for public spaces for over 20 years. She has studied at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London (England), received her BFA from Concordia University (Montreal), and MFA from the California College of the Arts (San Francisco). She is currently a Professor of Art and Graduate Studies Coordinator at California State University, San Bernardino. Most recently, she was appointed Interim Co-Director of the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art.

Alison’s work has been included in national and international exhibitions, including her most recent solo exhibitions at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (Pomona), the International Museum of Surgical Science (Chicago), Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (San Bernardino) and Launch LA (Los Angeles). She has exhibited at venues including Durden and Ray (Los Angeles), the Architecture and Design Museum (Los Angeles), The Contemporary (Austin), and international venues including the Galleria De Los Oficios (Santiago de Cuba), Shanghai University Art Gallery (China), and Harbourfront Centre (Toronto). She has also been commissioned for multiple public artworks.

Alison has been a resident artist at the Taller Cultural in Santiago de Cuba, Jingdezhen Pottery Workshop in China, and the Purosil Rubber Company in Corona, California. Her work has been highlighted in several art publications and textbooks, including Ceramics Monthly, LA Art Week and Artillery Magazine. Alison has been supported by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles.

AQMNI

AQMNI is the collaborative practice of Carlo and Ethel Zafranco, an Antelope Valley-based artist team working in muralism, public art and community engagement. Their work centers storytelling, local identity and creative connection through large-scale murals and collaborative arts programming across Los Angeles County.

Victor Gonzales

Victor Gonzales serves as the Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. He organizes exhibitions and develops programs that emphasize community, place, identity, and contemporary art. He also leads efforts to grow the museum’s permanent collection, prioritizing works that reflect the diversity of contemporary California and connect to a wide range of cultural and social experiences.

His curatorial approach centers on elevating historically underrepresented voices and expanding the perspectives represented in museum spaces. He has facilitated major collaborations that bring artists from diverse backgrounds, including Chicano, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Asian communities, to the Central Valley. In addition, he supports public art initiatives that engage hundreds of artists each year. Through this work, Gonzales is dedicated to increasing access to the arts and strengthening museums as places for dialogue, connection, and cultural exchange.