Mary Anna Pomonis, associate professor of art, first met Catherine “Cat” Montoya in her Creative Thinking in the Studio Art Classroom course at Cal State Fullerton. From the beginning, Montoya brought a rare energy and vision into the space. Her presence shifted the classroom, and it was immediately clear that Montoya was not only a dedicated art-teaching major, but a teaching artist already reshaping how people understand the role.
This year, Montoya’s work has been recognized across multiple institutions. She was recognized with the Director’s Choice Award at the Fullerton Museum Center’s OC Made exhibition, selected by Executive Director Elvia Susana Rubalcava. The recognition follows another major award just months prior, when she received the Staff Choice Award at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History’s Open Call exhibition.
When a student receives museum recognition twice within a single year, it calls attention to something larger than individual achievement, explained Pomonis.
“It asks us to consider the cultural relevance of art education in a moment when emerging artists are navigating economic precarity while sustaining rigorous creative practices. Montoya’s success is not incidental. It reflects the power of art education as a space where critical thinking, identity and material experimentation converge,” said Pomonis.
Despite the complexities of this past year, Montoya continues to build momentum. She presented her first solo exhibition at the CSUF College of the Arts galleries last semester, marking an important milestone in her development as both an artist and educator. Her work is grounded in feminist practice and centers her identity as a Salvadoran-American artist. It speaks to self-definition, self-love and determination within a culture that often seeks to narrow the definition of what it means to be a fully embodied woman of color. Her sculptural and wearable works extend beyond the gallery, engaging the body as both site and symbol.
Montoya’s practice does not stop at the level of objects. She designs and creates her own clothing and accessories, moving through the world with intention and authorship. Each choice becomes part of a larger artistic language. In this way, she models what it means to live as an artist.
As a teaching artist, Montoya represents the highest level of commitment to the field. She understands that though art education is about instruction, it is also about creative transformation. Her work in classrooms, studios, and public spaces reflects a deep investment in building a more just and imaginative world.
“In CSUF’s College of the Arts, we are proud to support artists like Montoya, whose work reinforces that art education is not secondary to contemporary practice. It is central to it,” said Pomonis.