Ernesto Palomino, educator, muralist, activist, dies at 89.

Former Fresno State faculty member and acclaimed artist and activist Ernesto “Ernie” Palomino died on Oct. 24. Born and raised in southwest Fresno, Palomino attended Edison High School. While he did not graduate high school, Palomino earned a B.A. and M.A. in fine arts from San Francisco State University. In 2017, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Fresno State. This past June, Edison High School awarded him an honorary high school diploma for the Class of 1953.

In 1970, Palomino returned to California to become an assistant professor in La Raza studies and fine arts at Fresno State. He taught La Raza studies for three years before fully committing to the Art Department (now Art, Design and Art History). He continued at Fresno State until his retirement in 1995 and received the title Professor Emeritus of Art in 1996.

While a professor, he was active in community organizations and art installations. He became the executive director of La Brocha del Valle in 1979, an organization he helped found. The collection of local artists highlighted the social struggles of Central Valley farm workers and Chicanos with public murals and images. He was also the artistic director of Fresno State’s Inner City Mural Project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, Dec. 15 at St. John’s Cathedral in downtown Fresno.