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Curriculum Vitae: Andy Nguyen

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Education:

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MFA Photography Program. San Jose State University. San Jose, CA. May 2026

(SJSU President’s Spotlight during the Humanities and the Arts Graduation Ceremony)

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BFA Art/Photography, San Jose State University. San Jose, CA. 2019

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AA Liberal Arts, San Jose City College. San Jose, CA. 2015

(SJCC President’s Spotlight: Leadership and Volunteerism Award)

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Professional Practices:

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• 2008-Present: Pro Bono Community/Event Photographer

​* 2026: Cyanotype Teaching Artist Workshop. Local Color Organization. June 13th. 

• 2025: Cyanotype Teaching Artist Workshop. Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose

• 2024: YMCA Silicon Valley. Afterschool Counselor/Leader

• 2023-2024: AmeriCorps Reading Partner of Silicon Valley. Volunteer Coordinator

• 2022-2023: Community Support Coordinator. School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza.

• 2022: AmeriCorps Reading Partners. Program Coordinator.

• 2021: Liaison for a special art project of "Covid Bubbles: Californians Dress For

Emergences" by artists Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao. Sponsored by the California

Governor's Office and Sierra Health Foundation. May 30th.

• 2020-2021: After-School Instructor, CORAL Program at KIPP Heritage Academy, Enrichment in Visual Arts for 5th - 8th Grade.

• 2020: Exhibit Coordinator for International Children’s Assistance Network (ICAN) from January to April.

• 2020: Workshop Assistant, Cyanotype project for Chopstick Alley Art, August 29th.

• 2016-2019: Contributing Photographer with the Bay Area Review newspaper.

• 2016: Fundraising/Arts Director for Tet Festival. The Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation

• 2013-2015: Activities Director of the Associated Students of San Jose City College. Founded and Organized “The 1st Annual Creative Arts” Students Showcase. It was held at the SJCC, Carmen Castellano Art Gallery from September through December 2013

“The 2nd Annual Creative Arts” Students Showcase. It was held at SJCC, Carmen Castellano Art Gallery from September through December 2014

• 2008-2014: Staff Photographer/Photo Editor to the City College Times newspaper from San Jose City College

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Honor & Awards:

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• 2025 Murphy and Cadogan Art Contemporary Award. San Francisco Foundation

• Certificate of Recognition by Supervisor Betty Duong, District Two of Santa Clara County for the Vietnamese American Service Center’s 50th Black April Commemoration: Weaving Our Stories Through Art and Culture. “Blue to Freedom,” installation. 2025

• The AANHPI Commendation by the Milpitas Mayor and Councilmembers. 2024

• Dr. Jerry Hiura Inspirational Award for "Together" artwork. The Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS). 2022

• Dr. Jerry Hiura Inspirational Award for "Vietnamese American Heritage" artwork. The Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS). 2021

• CSU Summer Arts Program Scholarship. 2017 & 2018

• Community Heroes Award, Recognized by Assemblyman Kansen Chu. 2018

• San Jose State University, A.S. Advocacy Scholarship. 2017- 2018

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Iconic Award. SJSU Community Engagement. 2016 - 2017

• California Senate Resolution, Local Hero Award by Senator Bob Wieckowski of the State of the 10th Senate District. Santa Clara County. 2017

• CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. SJSU. 2016-2017

• The Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship. 2015 & 2016

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Media Press:

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• Pizarro: Photography exhibit bridges U.S., Vietnamese cultures, article written by Sal Pizarro. The Mercury News, Bay Area News Group. July 01.

• Student's Photography Raises Money for Children, an article written by Sonya Herrera. Spartan Daily, SJSU. Volume 145, Issue 12, A&E p 3.

Sept. 22.

• Andy Nguyen, Award-Winning Artist, Reminds People of Their Roots, an article written by Julia Halprin Jackson. SJSU News Center. Awards and Achievements. Oct. 16, 2025.​ 

• One of Eleven Vietnamese Artists Reaching Global Milestones in 2025 by the Viet Q Media.

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Solo Exhibitions:

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•New Shore: A Journey from Vietnam to America. MFA Thesis Exhibition. SJSU Jo Farb Hernandez Gallery. April 13th to 17th 2026

• Memory of Vietnam, ATC Exhibition. SJSU Jo Farb Hernandez Gallery. April 7th to 11th 2025

• Open Door Journey Exhibition. SJSU Jo Farb Hernandez Gallery. April 8 to 11, 2024

• Culture Through Lenses Exhibition. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Library- AAACNA Studies Center. San Jose, CA. July to August 27, 2019

• Crossing Oceans, BFA Exhibition. Gallery 8 at San Jose State University. San Jose, CA. 03/25/2019

• Emerging In America Exhibition. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Library. San Jose, CA. June to July 2016

• New Door Exhibition. SJCC Carmen Castellano Art Gallery. San Jose, CA. September - November 2015.

• Experiment in Time Exhibition. Fine Art Department, San Jose City College. San Jose, CA. Feb. 22- March 17, 2011

• Images of Vietnam I Exhibition. San Jose City College Gallery from Sept. 11th - Oct. 13th 2006. San Jose, CA.

• Images of Vietnam II Exhibition. Evergreen Valley Community College Library in November 2006. San Jose, CA

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Selected Exhibitions:

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• Boundaries of the Self: SJSU Masters of Fine Art 2026. Works/San Jose. June 5th - 7th, 2026.

* 2026 Salon at the Triton. Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA. May 2 – Aug. 16, 2026.

• Year of the Fire Horse. A Lunar New Year Art Exhibition. Art Builds Community Gallery. Feb. 22 to April 19, 2026.

• Mapping Time: A Juried Group Exhibition. Mercury 20 Gallery. Jan. 9 to Feb. 7, 2026.

• 2026 Hometown Heroes: A Celebration of San Jose Artists and Athleticism. San Jose City Hall. February 2026

• Hidden Heritages: San Jose’s Vietnamese Legacy. Hosted by the San Jose Museum of Art and Chopsticks Alley Art. In the California Room at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Library. September to October 2025

• Hayward Arts Council 42nd Anniversary Exhibition. Hayward City Hall Rotunda. July 11 to September 03, 2025

• Serendipitous Pairings Exhibition. SJSU Gallery 8. May 5th to 9th, 2025

50th Black April Commemoration. Weaving Our Stories Through Art and Culture. “Blue to Freedom” installation. Vietnamese American Service Center. Sponsored by the Santa Clara County. April 18, 2025

• Beyond Boundaries: A Juried Group Exhibition. Mercury 20 Gallery in Oakland. Feb. 7 March 8, 2025

• Cut, Paste & Create, The Art of Collage Exhibition. Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek. July 6 – Sept. 15, 2024

• Year of the Dragon. A Lunar New Year Art Exhibition. School of Arts & Culture. Feb 03 to 29th 2024.

• MFA Photography Exhibition. SJSU Herbert Sanders Gallery. Sept. 11th – 14th 2023

Alumni Exhibition. San Jose City College Art Gallery. Nov. 8 to Dec. 14, 2023

• Hayward Arts Council 40th Anniversary Exhibition. Hayward City Hall Rotunda. July 10th to August 30, 2023.

• 2023 Salon at the Triton Museum of Art. Santa Clara, CA. July 09th to August 20, 2023

• Road to a Hidden Home. Hidden Heritages: San Jose’s Vietnamese Legacy. Hosted by the San Jose Museum of Art and Chopsticks Alley Art. San Jose City Hall Lobby. May 16th, 2023 – 2025.

• Emigration Exhibit. Gallery 5 at San Jose State University. March 13th – 17th, 2023.

• Xanh Exhibit. Are You Feeling Blue? A Community Exhibition. Presented by Chopsticks Alley Art. Sponsored by the City of San Jose Office of Racial Equity’s Art in Solidarity Campaign. San Jose, CA. Nov. 20, 2022 – Jan. 28, 2023.

• Gargoyles’ N Lockers, Installation Exhibit. Presented by Art 173: Installation Art, Professor Shannon Wright. Jo Farb Hernandez Gallery. November 28 – December 02, 2022.

• In Real Life Exhibition. MA/MFA Graduate Cohort. SJSU Jo Farb Hernandez Gallery. Aug. 29 - Sept. 1, 2022

• Embrace Exhibition: How We Envision a World That Embraces. Hosted by genARTS Silicon Valley. Know Future Gallery in Japan Town. San Jose, CA. 2022

• Afterlife, Celebrating Life and Remembrance. A Community Exhibition. Presented by Works/San Jose. Sponsored by the School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza. San Jose, CA. October 30, 2021

• South Vietnam: Memories and Perspectives Virtual Exhibition. Sponsored by the City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs Committee. Exhibit Coordinator for International Children’s Assistance Network (ICAN) from May 2021

• The CSU Chancellor’s Gallery. Office of the Chancellor, California State University, Long Beach 2019-2020. (The 2nd term, my photography work got selected there for 1 year)

• 13th Annual Art of Remembrance Altar Exhibition. Hosted by San Jose Multicultural Artists Guild, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Library. San Jose, CA. Oct. 10th - Nov. 8, 2019

• Confluence & Resurgence Vietnamese American Fine Art Exhibition. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Library. 150 E. San Fernando St., San Jose, CA. April 15 to May 30, 2019

• Hands Joined, Hearts United - Chung Tay, Đồng Lòng showcase the remarkable achievements that our community has seen over the last 44 years. City of San Jose, Rotunda. San Jose, CA. Hosted by the Vietnamese Roundtable. April 30, 2019

• State of the Art Virtual Juried Exhibit: The Human Spirit by Center for Photographic Art. Viewer's Choice Award. Dec. 7- 31, 2018

• Light Beings Exhibition. Gallery 8, SJSU-San Jose, CA. Nov. 27, 2018

• Benefit Art Auction Exhibition. Hosted by Works/San Jose. San Jose, CA. Oct. 18, 2018

• Beauty Is Everywhere Exhibition. Hosted by CSU Summer Arts Program. Conley Gallery, Fresno State University. July 28 2018

• Papermaking & Artist Books Exhibition. Hosted by CSU Summer Arts Program. Conley Gallery, Fresno State University. Fresno, CA. July 14, 2018

• Landmarks: Photographed Ciphers of Time and Place Exhibition. Conley Gallery, Fresno State University. July 8, 2017

• Community Art Project Gallery. Hosted by American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter. Testarossa Winery. Los Gatos, CA. May 21, 2017

• The CSU Chancellor’s Gallery. Office of the Chancellor, California State University, Long Beach 2017-2018. (My work got selected there for 1 year)

• Organized, “San Jose Photo Contest and Exhibition” for Tet Festival at Yerba Buena High School from Dec. 19th, 2016 through Feb. 12th, 2017. Hosted by the Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation. San Jose, CA.

• The Journey of Tao Exhibition. San Jose City Hall, Rotunda, CA. Jan. 20, 2017

• Three Open Doors Exhibition. Artist Duc Le & KimLien Dang, hosted by SJVietArts. Trianon Theatre, CA. Aug. 25th - Sept. 22, 2017

• Image & Idea Exhibition. Gallery 8, San Jose State University. San Jose, CA. Fall 2016.

• This Is San Jose, Community Exhibition. City of San Jose Rotunda, CA. October 27, 2016 to November 2017​

• 12/12 Benefit Art Auction Exhibition. Hosted by Works/San Jose. San Jose, CA. October 20th 

• "Eclectic Perspective," Student Gallery. Carmen Castellano Fine Arts Gallery, SJCC. San Jose, CA. April 13-29th​​​

• ​"Through The Lens," Exhibition with artist KimLien Dang.  The Vietnamese American Cultural Center, San Jose, CA. Feb. 17, 2013  (Link)​​

• Olympiad of the Arts Gallery, West Valley Community College. Students Showcase sponsored by The West Valley/Mission Community Colleges Foundation. Best Show Award for Traditional Photography. Saratoga, CA. May 09th

• Innovation of Art Showcase. Featuring Photography by Andy Nguyen, Jessie Jones and Paintings by Tyler Stark and Lindy Upton. Reception on Nov. 7th & 8th San Jose City College Gallery, Room F2.​​​

• Olympiad of the Arts Gallery, West Valley Community College. Students Showcase sponsored by The West Valley/Mission Community Colleges Foundation. First Place for Traditional Photography. Saratoga, CA. May 06th

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Recognitions/Awards/Scholarships

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• Dr. Jerry Hiura Inspirational Award 2022 for "Together" artwork. The Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS). September 20th.

• Dr. Jerry Hiura Inspiration Award 2021 for "Vietnamese American Heritage" artwork. The Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS). September 04th. https://www.facebook.com/catsasiantheater/ 

• California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition by Assemblyman Ash Kalra, District 27th. Ao Dai Day and the Confluence & Resurgence Art Exhibition. Talents and Vision Vietnamese Art and Culture. Martin Luther King Jr., Library. May 12th 

• Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. Vietnamese American artist at Ao Dai Day and the Confluence & Resurgence Art Exhibit. Martin Luther King Jr., Library. San Jose, CA. May 12th

• MALI mini grant, Day of the Dead: 13th Annual Art of Remembrance Altar Exhibition from the Multicultural Arts and Leadership Institute, San Jose, CA 

• California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition by Assemblyman Ash Kalra, District 27th. Cultures Through Lenses Exhibition. Compassion and commitment to educating communities on different cultures through art & photography @ Martin Luther King Jr., Library. July 27th 

• California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition by Assemblyman Kansen Chu, District 25th. Cultures Through Lenses Exhibition. Unique pieces of art celebrating multicultural in Silicon Valley. Martin Luther King Jr., Library. July 27th

• Honorable Mention Award in "Homelessness" in Deep Perspective category by International Photography Awards. 

• Finalist, 38th Annual College & High School Photography Contest by the Photographer's Forum Magazine. 

• Recognized as one of the Community Hero Award 2018 recipients by Assemblyman Kansen Chu. Dedication to making our community a better place through my outstanding work as a true community photographer, showcasing important civic activities and raising money for children around the world.

• ​​State of the 10th Senate District 2017 Local Hero Award Recipient by Senator Bob Wieckowski, District 10th. @ UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Campus. San Jose, CA. Sept. 28th (Link)

• Finalist, 37th Annual College & High School Photography Contest & Finalist, 37th Best of Photography Contest by the Photographer's Forum Magazine. 

• American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter Recognition for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution, Community Art Project. May 21st

• CSU Summer Arts Program Scholarship. @ Fresno State University. Certificate of Completion 2017. Landmarks Photography & Printing and Installation. July 2017

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Iconic Recognition 2016 - 2017 by The Community Engagement Collaborative, SJSU.

• San Jose State University, "A.S. 55" Award on May 03, 2017. The 6th Annual Student Leadership Gala. A recognition of distinction for student leaders who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to San José State University and who continually give back to the community.

• San Jose State University, A.S. Advocacy Scholarship 2017 - 2018. Nov. 2nd 

• San Jose Tet Festival 2017. Certificate of Appreciation: Sponsorship Staff. Hosted by Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation (VIVO). March 18th

• CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement Scholarship 2016-2017. Trustee Emeritus William Hauck and Padget Kaiser Scholar. Chancellor's Office in Long Beach, CA. Sept. 20th  (Link)

• BeCause for Hope, Certificate of Appreciation. Dedication to our worthy cause and continuous commitment to support education program benefiting underprivileged children in Vietnam. 

• California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition by Assemblyman Kansen Chu of my "Emerging in America" solo exhibition. 

• The Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship Award from the Friends & Human Relations. June 1st 

• California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition by State Assemblyman Kansen Chu through the 2nd term of the Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship from the Friends & Human Relations.

• State of California Senate Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Achievement by Senator Ricardo Lara and Senator Janet Nguyen.

• Honorable Letter from United States Congressman Michael M. Honda on the Occasion of my “Emerging in America” solo exhibit. 

• San Jose Tet Festival 2016. Certificate of Appreciation: Fundraising Director. Hosted by Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation (VIVO). 

• The City of Milpitas Commendation from Mayor Jose S. Esteves through my "Emerging In America" solo exhibit. Expressing the beauty of Vietnam and the merging of its culture with the American culture. July 28th ​

• Journalism Association of Community Colleges. State Convention Scholarship. @ Sacramento. April 9th 

• The 32nd Annual Scholarship Recognition, San Jose City College. Associated Students Richard Tanaka Transfer Scholarship & Mathias Family Scholarship. April 23rd  

• The Jim McEntee Legacy Scholarship Award from the Friends & Human Relations. June 2015​

• Leadership and Volunteerism Award by San Jose City College Graduation Committee. Class of 2014

• The Hall of Excellence Awards Banquet. Presidential Award 2014-2015. Hosted by SJCC Associated Students Government. May 8th ​

• Journalism Association of Community Colleges. State Convention Award, Photo Illustration, 2nd Place. April 11-14th 

• Journalism Association of Community Colleges. State Convention Scholarship. @ Sacramento. April 11 -14th 

• The Hall of Excellence Awards Banquet. Outstanding Student & Leading Activist Award 2013 - 2014. Hosted by SJCC Associated Students Government. May 8th ​

• Honorable Mention Award for "Moonlit" in special and night category by International Photography Awards. 

• Honorable Mention Award for "Rocks" in nature and landscapes category by International Photography Awards. 

• The Hall of Excellence Awards Banquet. Most Active on Campus Award 2012-2013. Hosted by SJCC Associated Students Government.​

• Journalism Association of Community Colleges- 1st Place Photo Award. Sacramento, California. 

• The 25th Annual Scholarship Recognition, San Jose City College. Bob Rice Memorial Scholarship. May 8th ​

• First Place Award for Traditional Photography from the Olympiad of the Arts by the West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation. May 09th​

• Best in Show Award for Traditional Photography from the Olympiad of the Arts by the West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation. May 06th

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