The Sun Doesn’t Mean to Be So Hot exhibits nine Southern California-based artists that consider impressions of the San Fernando Valley within their work. In the land of relentless sun, better known as ‘The Valley;' the heat comes down so close and bright, like a spotlight, it moves us into the uncanny. The Valley’s image is constructed by external imaginaries, and often defined solely by its proximity to Hollywood as the region consistently lends itself to a movie set. Its inhabitants bear witness to the array of projections that are thrust upon its landscape and culture, which become permanent fictions in the minds of moviegoers everywhere. ‘The Valley’ in this plurality of imaginaries is a site of as much specificity as it is a “no-place”. The artists brought together for this show contemplate their relationship with this landscape, culture, and memory. This show has been organized by The Valley Group: a group study of artists who have been recently or currently enrolled as MFA candidates at UC San Diego. As a part of their curriculum, artists in The Valley Group presented their backgrounds, perspectives and aesthetic and research interests in The Valley, which cover a wide range of topics and parallels. This show features works that consider The Valley alongside queer landscapes, history, cinema, porn, stereotypes, sci-fi origins, and memory. Presented as a thin facade through the lens of film, the background of The Valley finds depth and complexity in "The Sun Doesn't Mean To Be So Hot," which sits on view for the public at CSUN's West Gallery, looking back at Downtown Los Angeles from just 30 miles north. Exhibiting Artists: Deanna Barahona mika castañeda Victor Castañeda H JAX Alexis Hithe Hazel Katz Heige Kim Arlene Mejorado Naomi Nadreau