Creative Citizens in Action (CCA@CCA) is a college-wide initiative that promotes creative activism and democratic engagement through public programs, exhibitions, and curriculum connections.
Visitors attend the opening of TAKE ACTION: A CCA@CCA Exhibition at the Deborah and Kenneth Novack Gallery on October 19, 2024. Photo by Jacob Hyun.
Founded in 2018, Creative Citizens in Action (CCA@CCA) reflects the shared desire of California College of the Arts students, faculty, and staff for more connected programming related to art, activism, social and environmental justice, and current events.
Launched in 2020, the centerpiece of CCA@CCA is the Deborah and Kenneth Novack Creative Citizens Series, which is funded by an endowment gift to support an annual series of public programs focused on creative activism that spans the disciplines of art, design, architecture, and writing.
CCA@CCA is overseen by the CCA Exhibitions & Public Programming department in partnership with Student Affairs, Marketing & Communications, Libraries, Academic Affairs, faculty, students, and partners across the college.
Explore our annual themes:
Where do we go from here?
2024 - 2025
At CCA, we’re committed to working with students, faculty, staff, and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting.
Belonging
2022 - 2023
The 2023 Creative Citizens Series highlighted Belonging as a practice that builds common ground and an inherently embodied experience moving between comfort and discomfort.
Fluid Mutualism
2021 - 2022
Fall 2021 and spring 2022 programming investigated intergenerational symbiotic relationships, networks, and strategies expanding within different communities, species, disciplines, and territories.
Creative Activism
2020 - 2021
Fall 2020 and spring 2021 programming celebrated mutual aid initiatives and supported democratic engagement efforts related to the 2020 U.S. General Election.
Voting Work
2018 - ongoing
The 2024-2025 CCA@CCA theme asks: During a time of high conflict in the world around us, how can we come together for discussion, reflection, and growth? How can the CCA Community enact positive change?
The spring 2024 CCA@CCA theme explored the artistic deployment of materials as tools to imagine, promote, and enact resistance to the status quo.