California State University, Northridge will display “Valley Vista: Art in the San Fernando Valley, ca. 1970-1990,” an exhibit featuring the works of CSUN alumni, faculty and local artists from Aug. 25 to Oct. 11.

The opening reception for the exhibition will be held Sept. 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. at CSUN’s Art Galleries. Some of the artists will be available for a gallery talk on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. and a panel discussion on Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.

Whether regaled as “America’s Suburb” or ridiculed as the capital of mini-malls and Valley Girls, the San Fernando Valley is considered one of Los Angeles’ most misunderstood and stereotyped areas. Damon Willick, an art historian and the exhibit’s curator, said he hopes the exhibit will better define the community.

“The Valley has always been more than how it’s been cast by outsiders,” Willick said. “This exhibition will hopefully counter existing stereotypes about the place as devoid of culture.”

With a population of more than 1.8 million residents, stretching across a span of more than 200 square miles, the Valley remains an unrecognized treasure hidden “over the hill” from Los Angeles’ cultural centers.

The artists featured in “Valley Vista” all have roots in the San Fernando Valley. Willick said about two-thirds of the artwork in the exhibition is from CSUN faculty or alumni who have grown up in the Valley, inspired by its clash of modernization with natural environments. The rest of the displayed work includes Valley residents who are also an integral part of the culture.

The exhibition catalog is written by Damon Willick with contributions from Mike Mandel, Robert Pavlik, Mark Van Proyen, Jeffrey Vallance and Benjamin Weissman and is published by Angel City Press.

The main gallery is located in the Art and Design Center, located on North University Drive, and is open Monday through Saturday noon to 4 p.m. and Thursdays noon to 8 p.m. To contact the gallery office or to schedule group tours, call (818) 677-2156. Please visit csun.edu/artgalleries for more information.

Parking is available in Lot D6 at Halsted Street and Lindley Avenue. Daily parking permits are available for purchase for $6 from the permit booth at Lindley and Nordhoff Street or Prairie Street and Darby Avenue, or at the yellow self-serve dispensers on the first floor of each parking structure. Visitors requiring accommodations for a disability should call (818) 677-2156, five working days in advance.

Art Galleries, Mike Curb College of Arts Media and Communication