Faculty

A person with curly hair looks forward, smiling slightly, wearing a dark turtleneck and earrings, set against a plain background.

Charlene Modena

Director / School of Jewelry & Metal Arts

Charlene Modena received her MA in Metal Arts from San Francisco State University and MFA in Sculpture from Academy of Art University. She has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the world, including the American Institute of Architects, the University of Guanajuato (Mexico), the Butler Museum, Elements Gallery, Velvet da Vinci Gallery, the Biennale Internationale-Limoges (France), and the Ueno Royal Museum (Tokyo).

Her work is included in the collections of the Xerox Corporation, the American Crafts Museum, and Ann Rockefeller-Roberts. She is also listed in World Who’s Who of Women and was a Marin Arts Council Grant prize winner. She has been published in Design Magazine, American Crafts, Metalsmith Journal, several Lark Books 500 Series, and more.

Charlene Modena's Work

A mannequin hand holds an abstract, flower-like sculpture made of open book pages with strings and beads extending outward, set against a plain gray background. Text on pages includes "RESEARCH OF GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT."

Charlene Modena / Endangered Dreams

Two rustic gold earrings feature textured gold leaves, pink gemstones, and elongated pearls, resting on a gray fabric backdrop.

Charlene Modena / Kim

An intricate sculpture combines gold coins, shells, pearls, and spiral wires, forming a whimsical collage. Starfish shapes accent the design, creating a marine-themed artistic piece against a dark backdrop.

Charlene Modena / Mysterious Ancestors

A white mannequin hand rests on a dark surface, adorned with a complex arrangement of yellow and white sculptural bracelets with spiral details, creating an artistic focal point.

Charlene Modena / Sweet Memories - Banana Cream Pie

Translucent, amber-colored stones are suspended by coiled wires on a textured, gilt surface adorned with small, mosaic-like pieces. The background features a diagonal wooden lattice pattern. No text present.

Charlene Modena / The Unswept Staircase

Three translucent, sculptural bracelets with rough, jagged textures are arranged upright. They feature embedded small beads, displayed on a smooth gradient background. No text is present.

Charlene Modena / Endangered Gangotri Glacier Bracelets

Our Faculty

Part-Time Faculty

Faculty Member	Educational Background
Lindsey Eason	Master of Fine Arts, Academy of Art University (San Francisco, California, Sculpture)
Justin McGinnis	Bachelor of Fine Arts, Savannah College Art Design (Savannah, Georgia, Industrial Design)
Chrystal Sunshine	Bachelor of Fine Arts, Academy of Art University (San Francisco, California, Sculpture)