Artist Alexander Valdez Jr. will be featured in a new exhibition titled “¿Como Anda La Chamba?/How’s Work?” at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art’s Dutton Family Gallery at Cal State San Bernardino. The exhibition will be on view from Feb. 12 through Feb. 20, with an opening reception scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 12, from 4-6 p.m. The event is free and open to the campus and community.

Through paintings and sculptures, Valdez explores the conditions, experiences and evolving definitions of labor and how work is viewed in contemporary society. Drawing from his own lived experiences working in various jobs, his work reflects the realities of the working class and examines labor through both material and cultural lenses.

As visitors move through the gallery, they will notice Valdez’s deliberate choice of surfaces and materials. He frequently works with wood panels and diamond plate, emphasizing the honesty and physicality of materials commonly found on job sites. These familiar industrial elements are transformed into artistic statements that connect personal experience with broader themes of labor. Large shipping crates line the center of the gallery, drawing viewers in with curiosity and transforming mundane objects into sculptural forms.

Valdez is an Inland Empire-based artist who works in a multidisciplinary practice that primarily includes painting and sculpture. His work often addresses themes of labor, the working class, corridos, and slang. He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree from California State University, Fullerton and is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts degree at Cal State San Bernardino. His work has been included in group exhibitions at the Brea Gallery, Peggy Phelps Gallery and East Gallery, Division 9 Gallery, and the Dutton Family Gallery.

About RAFFMA
The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, houses one of the largest displays of ancient Egyptian art in Southern California and maintains significant collections of ceramics and contemporary art. RAFFMA presents 10-12 temporary exhibitions annually and provides CSUSB students with valuable hands-on experience that prepares them for careers in the arts. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $3. Parking at CSUSB is $10 per vehicle.

Museum Hours
• Monday-Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (Second Saturday of each month)
• Sunday: Closed