Lilia Gonzales-Chavez will receive an honorary doctor of fine arts and will be recognized during the commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Humanities, scheduled from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, at the Save Mart Center.
Gonzales-Chavez has served Fresno and the Central Valley for decades by promoting and furthering art and culture throughout the city and region.
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For the past 12 years, Gonzales-Chavez has promoted the arts and a vibrant Fresno culture as the executive dIrector of the Fresno Arts Council, and with the California Arts Council since she was appointed to that role in 2020 by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Gonzales-Chavez has been a champion for promoting and supporting artists and spreading diverse and vibrant culture in Fresno, the Central Valley and across the state.
She has spearheaded community events, created numerous opportunities for Fresno’s diverse population to share their culture and talents with the broader community, and overall made Fresno a more exciting, vibrant and accepting community.
Gonzales-Chavez earned a bachelor’s in human development at Fresno State, before earning a master’s in public administration from Fresno Pacific University.
Gonzales-Chavez danced with Los Danzantes de Aztlán while she was a Fresno State student and then joined one of her college professors to start a folklorico group for young children in Fresno — Los Ninos de Aztlan.
She was an integral part of growing Art Hop into what it is today, with thousands of Fresnans visiting Fresno art galleries twice a month to celebrate art and be together. She was one of the founders of Arte Americas, the Central Valley’s largest Latino cultural arts center, and established Fresno’s poet laureate program.
Gonzalez-Chavez served on the California Arts Council until her term ended in 2023. During her time there, she worked to secure funding for arts programs in Fresno and other underserved areas of California.
Fresno State will award honorary doctorates to three individuals this year — advocate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Robert R. Davila; Hinds Hospice founder Nancy Hinds; and Fresno arts proponent Lilia Gonzales-Chavez.
Honorary doctorates are awarded on behalf of the California State University system and Fresno State in recognition of excellence and extraordinary achievement in significant areas of human endeavor that embody the CSU system’s objectives and ideals.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 