On any given afternoon at Chico State, the University Galleries feel less like campus facilities and more like a crossroads—where artists, students, and curious passersby drift in and out, drawn by the magnetic pull of what’s happening inside.

Housed in the Arts and Humanities Building, the trio of galleries offers three different entry points into the campus’s creative life: the historic mastery of the Janet Turner Print Museum, the contemporary pulse of the Jacki Headley University Art Gallery, and the ever-evolving A. Gallery, where alumni continue to stretch their artistic wings.

Since arriving at Chico State in 2022, Rachel Skokowski has helped unify these spaces under one vision. An Oxford-trained art historian and curator with experience at museums in the United Kingdom and Australia, she stepped into the role of director of galleries in 2025 with a mission to make the galleries more accessible, more collaborative, and more alive than ever.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the impact of the galleries firsthand,” Skokowski said. “I love hearing from students who are discovering these spaces for the first time or welcoming back alumni who are excited to see how we’ve grown since their time on campus. My goal is that every member of our community has an opportunity to encounter art that surprises, challenges, and delights them!”

That impact is perhaps felt most deeply by the students whose academic and creative lives are molded within these walls. For many, donor support transforms the galleries from classrooms into spaces where ideas become tangible and careers begin to take form.

Dylan Charlton, a senior completing a bachelor’s degree in fine art with an emphasis on painting and drawing and a student assistant at the galleries, has been shaped directly by the spaces he helps maintain.

The rhythm of installing exhibitions, repairing walls, and preparing each room for the next artist has become part of his own creative vocabulary, informing both the materials he reaches for and the way he thinks about how viewers encounter his work.

“My position at the Jacki Headley and University Art Gallery is funded entirely by grants, and without this support, I wouldn’t have gained the level of hands-on experience that has been so important to my development as an artist,” said Charlton.

His time working behind the scenes has become inseparable from his studio practice. The quiet hours spent resurfacing a gallery wall echo in the textured layers of his paintings; the discipline of arranging a show sharpens his eye for how his own pieces inhabit space.

Recent years have brought record growth, both in visitors and in philanthropy. The Reed Applegate Endowment doubled the Turner’s annual endowment income, ensuring a solid foundation for exhibitions, acquisitions, and student programs.

A $100,000 Luce Foundation grant made it possible to digitize the Turner’s 4,000-piece print collection, giving anyone, anywhere, a chance to explore centuries of creative expression. Local and statewide gifts—from the Women’s Philanthropy Council, the City of Chico Arts and Culture Grant, and countless Wildcat donors—have also helped keep exhibitions dynamic and free to the public.

The Turner stands out nationally as the only university museum in the country dedicated entirely to printmaking, and its programs continue to earn recognition. Kids at the Turner, an after-school art program taught by Chico State students, recently received the California Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education for its dual impact on children and future art educators alike.

Meanwhile, the University Art Gallery and A Gallery are buzzing again with new life. Office Hours celebrated faculty and staff artists in the Department of Art and Art History in their first group exhibition since 2019. And alumna Linda Lopez (Art, ’06) returned to campus with her whimsical ceramic sculptures—closing the loop between student and professional artist.

Altogether, these exhibitions and events draw nearly 4,000 visitors a year, almost twice the attendance of three years ago. From yoga in the galleries to community print days that spill out onto the sidewalks, the University Galleries have become places where students, alumni, and neighbors alike can experience art up close—made possible, in no small part, by the donors who ensure these spaces remain vibrant, welcoming, and transformative.