Arts Explorer
Call it the year of the arts at UC Davis. With the opening of a high-profile art museum and music venue, anniversaries and other milestones, the university is the place to be for appreciating all types of art.
1. Ann E. Pitzer Center
The 17,500-square-foot building that houses classrooms and a recital hall opened in the fall and will be the venue for Department of Music concerts by students, faculty and visiting artists.
2. Art Building Basement Gallery
This gallery is run by and shows works by undergraduate studio art students.
3. Eggheads
Robert Arneson’s Egghead bronze sculptures have become synonymous with UC Davis since they were installed across campus in 1992. In May, they were given fresh coatings. Additional public art on campus is documented in an online guide.
4. C.N. Gorman Museum
Located in Hart Hall, the museum is dedicated to the creative expressions of contemporary Native American artists and those of diverse cultures and histories.
5. Craft Center Gallery
In a small alcove in the South Silo building, the gallery features the work of Craft Center instructors in different art forms, such as pottery and sculpture.
6. Design Museum
Exhibitions in this Cruess Hall space change each quarter, with spring quarter focusing on student work.
7. Della Davidson Performance Studio
Named for the late UC Davis professor in 2014, the dance performance space in Nelson Hall features workshops and other programs that are open to the public.
8. Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art
Opened in November and free to all, the Manetti Shrem Museum is an educational resource for the campus and community. The contemporary art museum pays particular attention to the artistic legacy of the university, with major works by such former faculty members as Wayne Thiebaud and Robert Arneson, and also features works from major museums, private collections and UC Davis’ permanent collection.
9. Main Theatre
Wright Hall, which houses the Main Theatre, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017 and continues to be a venue for theater and dance.
10. TB 9
Recently included in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources, the building is best known for the ceramics that the students and faculty produce there.
11. Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
The world-class performance venue continues to feature top-notch acts in music, theater, dance and more in its two separate venues: Jackson Hall and the smaller Vanderhoef Studio Theatre.
12. Wyatt Pavilion Theatre
Originally a place for judging livestock, the Elizabethan theater is the oldest building on campus, turning 110 in 2017, and regularly hosts student performances.
13. Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center
The building features two art galleries with changing exhibitions.
