Sierra Reading is a social practice artist that creates site specific, time-based, interactive artworks within classrooms, cow pastures, and backyard barbecues. Earning her BFA in Textiles from the California College of the Arts, and a MA in Art Education through the Maryland Institute College of Art, Sierra now teaches high school art full-time at Pierce High School in Arbuckle, California. Sierra is also the co-founder and co-host of Social Studies Residency, based in her backyard. The artist residency provides an opportunity for visiting artists to experience rural living, while also receiving time and space for their own work. The residency has annual exhibitions and open studio events that help to share the visiting artists' works with the general public of Colusa County and beyond. Social Studies and Sierra have contributed to many murals in and around Colusa and Arbuckle, including at Davison Drug & Stationary, City of Colusa's Public Pool, and County of Colusa's Main Branch Library.

 

Now, Sierra is happy to give mural and public project opportunities to her Pierce High students, as they have been creating murals for the town of Arbuckle for the last five years - all designed and painted by the students. Sierra explains that the best part about teaching at Pierce High School is the incredibly supportive administration, faculty and staff. "We would never be able to pull off the fun things we do without the positive support around us," she stated. You can see their newest mural beside the Arbuckle Public Pool, that should finished by the end of the 2026 spring semester.

 

Sierra has recently spoken and performed at interactive workshops at the California College of the Arts (March 2026) and Sacramento State College (April 2026), sharing her art practice, art residency and art education background. She also has work in the current exhibition "Still Possible" at Prism Art Space in Sacramento.

 

When Sierra is not giving voice to rural art practices, you can find her with her flock of sheep, mowing friends’ lawns around Colusa County or with her daughter Phoebe.