Vera Fainshtein
Vera Fainshtein - CSM Graphic Design Faculty
I teach graphic design courses such as two-dimensional design, typography, advanced graphic design, internship, and portfolio.
I enjoy different areas of design and teaching all types of courses, from design fundamentals to the more advanced ones. My two favorite classes to teach are the capstone courses, such as ART 200 Portfolio and DGME 250 Internship. Both classes help students to prepare for the next step in their career, which is either transferring to a 4-year program or getting an internship or an entry-level design position in the field. It’s very rewarding to see students transfer to prestigious design schools, get jobs, and achieve their dreams of becoming professional designers and freelance artists.
I have a background in fine arts, graphic design, and digital media art. I started my design career working in a large advertising agency in Los Angeles, creating promotional print materials and DVD menu screens for clients such as Columbia, Rhino Records, Warner Brothers, Paramount Studios, and others. When I moved to the Bay Area, my main focus was branding and corporate identity design. My current work is very interdisciplinary in nature. I continue doing freelance design work, but also create interactive large-scale video installations. My video installations have been featured in digital media festivals such as Zero1, and displayed in galleries on the East and West Coasts.
Professional Accomplishments/Achievements
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Six-Week International Artist Residency, Puebla, Mexico Concentration in printmaking |
| 2019 | Four-Week International Artist Residency, Guanajuato, Mexico Concentration in painting |
| 2018 | Six-Week International Artist Residency, Puebla, Mexico Concentration in Pre-Columbian mural painting and Nuevo-Hispanic oil painting |
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Vera Fainshtein (Solo Exhibition), San Mateo Public Library, San Mateo, CA |
| 2018 | The More the Merrier, Art Art Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2016 | Vote Your Subconscious, WORKS Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2015 | All Abstract, Maryland Hall of Visual Arts, Annapolis, MD |
| 2015 | Waldorf West Spring Exhibition, Waldorf West Gallery, La Plata, MD In partnership with the Charles County Arts Alliance |
| 2014 | Public Displays of Innovation, Artisphere, Works in Progress Gallery, Arlington, VA |
| 2014 | Urban Oasis: Interactive Video Installation, Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA Ballston BID Public Art Commission |
| 2014 | Objectified, CADE Gallery, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD |
| 2014 | After the End of Art, MFA Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD |
| 2013 | Faculty Show, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD |
| 2013 | The Artist Eye, 3rd Annual Fall Juried Show, Benfield Gallery, Severna Park, MD |
| 2013 | Cross Pollination, Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2013 | Lake Tahoe CADRE Show, Haldan Art Gallery, Lake Tahoe, CA |
| 2012 | Valley to Valley: large-scale art installation and virtual environment Presented at the ZeroOne Biennale in San Jose, CA Created in collaboration with new media artists from Yekaterinburg, Russia |
| 2011 | Faculty Art Show, Evergreen Valley College, San Jose, CA |
| 2011 | Vera Fainshtein: Recent Works, Leedo Gallery, Gilroy, CA |
| 2010 | Emerging Masters, Aspect Gallery, San Francisco, CA |
| 2009 | Faculty Art Show, Evergreen Valley College, Art Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2009 | Red, Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2008 | Big Deal, Visual Aid Gallery, San Francisco, CA |
| 2008 | Local Color, Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2008 | 100/100, Backwater Arts Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2008 | Ancient City, Hays Valley Gallery, San Francisco, CA |
| 2006 | WORKS 2006 Action, WORKS Gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2006 | Social Networks: On Translation, interactive large-scale video installation Created in collaboration with world-renowned Spanish artist, Antoni Muntadas Presented at ISEA 2006 new media art and technology conference in San Jose, CA Installed at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center |
| 2006 | After the End of Art, Video Installation, McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, CA |
| 2006 | Lift Off, Show of Recent Graduates, Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA |
| 2006 | After the End of Art, MFA show, Gallery 8, SJSU, San Jose, CA |
| 2006 | Flux, WORKS gallery, San Jose, CA |
| 2006 | Extreme Opposition against Genocide, Royal Gallery, Glendale, CA |
| 2005 | Rain, MFA pre-thesis show, White Gallery, SJSU, San Jose, CA |
| 2005 | Emerging Masters, SJSU Masters of Fine Arts Exhibit, 4th Street Studio, Berkeley, CA |
| 2004 | Flight of Fancy, Finegood Gallery, Los Angeles, CA |
| 2004 | Unity and Diversity, Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA |
| 2004 | CSU Drawing Exhibition, Florence, Italy |