UC Merced Arts

02/01/2025

✨ 🎻 LIVE MUSIC ALERT! 🎻 OkCello takes the stage in Merced TODAY at 3 PM, and you’re invited! 🎶
🔥 Dive into a world of soulful melodies, bold improvisation, and unforgettable storytelling by Okorie Johnson, blending everything from classical to funk.

✨ Tickets: $15 General | 🎓 FREE for students
🎟️ Grab your tickets now through the link in our bio or at the concert
💻 arts.ucmerced.edu/boxoffice

A huge thank you to our UpstART Season & Concert Sponsors!

The 2024/25 UpstART Season is co-sponsored by UC Merced’s Division of Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence
The OkCello Concert is co-sponsored by a Friend of UC Merced Arts and UC Merced’s Center for Africana Studies

01/31/2025

UC Merced Children’s Opera is excited to announce AUDITIONS for the May 2025 production, Treble Trouble. These auditions are for current UC Merced students and recent alumni!

WHEN: Tuesday, February 4, 5:30pm
WHERE: SSM 116, UC Merced
WHO: You’ll be auditioning for Jenni Samuelson, Director and Darrel Lingenfelter, Music Director

NOTHING TO PREPARE! Simply arrive ready to sing, move and create. We will teach you the material all together. We encourage you to wear clothing/shoes you feel comfortable moving/dancing in!

Get more info and sign up through the link in our bio!

01/31/2025

Hey Merced, we'll be hosting our monthly jazz jam THIS SUNDAY February 2nd from 2-5pm in Central Presbyterian Church's gorgeous outdoor courtyard! Parking across the street, feel free to come sit in or just hang out and enjoy some jazz.

Hope to see you there!

01/30/2025

📆 La Galería’s Spring ‘25 Exhibition Opens Today! “Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology” is an exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI) on view from January 30 – April 19, 2025 (Opening Reception: January 30, 4 – 6 PM).

Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition that considers how artistic practices use kinship, healing, and restorative intervention to foster a deeper consciousness of our interconnectedness with the earth.

Actions for the Earth presents the work of eighteen intergenerational artists and collectives who place action, instruction, reciprocity, and exchange at the forefront of their practices. By sharing their participatory artistic interventions and healing strategies alongside research in ecology, science, and ancient beliefs, these artists remind us that we are connected within a constellation of living networks, inseparable from the planet and its environments. Artworks on view create space for the honoring of ancestors, foreground the significance of Indigenous knowledges, and engage in speculative imaginings through science fiction and network sciences—organic, digital, and spiritual.

Featured artwork: Lhola Amira, IRMANDADE: The Shape of Water in Pindorama, 2018-2020, HD video, single
channel sound, film still. Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery, copyright Lhola Amira.

Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI), New York. Learn more

01/25/2025

🎻 One Week Away! 📅 OkCello is coming to Merced on February 1st at 3 PM, and you don’t want to miss this 🎵 soul-stirring performance! 🎤

🌍 Okorie Johnson brings a blend of jazz, funk, EDM, reggae, and classical vibes that will move your heart and soul. ❤️‍🔥

✨ Tickets: $15 General | 🎓 FREE for students!!
🎟️ Secure your seat today: grab your tickets now through the link in our bio!
💻 arts.ucmerced.edu/boxoffice

A huge thank you to our UpstART Season & Concert Sponsors!

The 2024/25 UpstART Season is co-sponsored by UC Merced’s Division of Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence
The OkCello Concert is co-sponsored by a Friend of UC Merced Arts and UC Merced’s Center for Africana Studies

01/25/2025

📆 We are just one week away from the opening of La Galería’s Spring ‘25 exhibition! “Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology” is an exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI) on view from January 30 – April 19, 2025 (Opening Reception: January 30, 4 – 6 PM).

Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition that considers how artistic practices use kinship, healing, and restorative intervention to foster a deeper consciousness of our interconnectedness with the earth.

Actions for the Earth presents the work of eighteen intergenerational artists and collectives who place action, instruction, reciprocity, and exchange at the forefront of their practices. By sharing their participatory artistic interventions and healing strategies alongside research in ecology, science, and ancient beliefs, these artists remind us that we are connected within a constellation of living networks, inseparable from the planet and its environments. Artworks on view create space for the honoring of ancestors, foreground the significance of Indigenous knowledges, and engage in speculative imaginings through science fiction and network sciences—organic, digital, and spiritual.

Featured artwork: Cecilia Vicuña, “Semiya (Seed Song)”, 2015, color, sound, HD video, 07:43, Courtesy Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York.

Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI), New York. Learn more

01/22/2025

🎵 Get ready, Merced! 🎻 On February 1st at 3 PM, experience the genre-defying magic of OkCello at The Art Kamangar Center at The Merced Theatre! ✨

🎶 From classical to funk, jazz to reggae, Okorie “OkCello” Johnson will take you on an unforgettable musical journey. 🌟

🎟️ Tickets: $15 General | 🎓 FREE for students!
👉 Don’t wait—grab your tickets now through the link in our bio!!
⌨️ arts.ucmerced.edu/boxoffice

01/21/2025

Join us on Saturday, March 15 at 3 PM at The Art Kamangar Center at the Merced Theate for an electrifying performance by !!

Hailing from East Los Angeles, Las Cafeteras blends Afro-Mexican rhythms with electronic beats and powerful lyrics, creating a unique sound that tells the stories of their community, striving to “build a world where many worlds fit.”

Tickets:
- $15 General Admission
- FREE for Students (with ID) and Children!!

Secure your spot now and don’t miss this unforgettable experience! Tickets can be purchased through the link in our bio or at the door on the day of the concert.

The 2024/25 UpstART Season is co-sponsored by UC Merced’s Division of Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence (EJIE)

01/17/2025

Something new is coming soon! We’re working hard to get ready for Actions for the Earth: Art, Care and Ecology, opening January 30th at La Galería.

Slide one: Lhola Amira: IRMANDADE: The Shape of Water in Pindorama, 2018-2020, HD video, single channel sound, film still. Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery, copyright Lhola Amira.

Slide two: Curatorial intern Kat Corti builds a planter for installation of Arahmaiani, Memory of Nature, 2013, Singapore (Courtesy of the artist). Help for the installation of this artwork is thanks to and Kat Corti.

Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI). Learn more

01/15/2025

✨ Calling all UC Merced students passionate about arts and culture! ✨

The Arte Américas Cultural Arts Fellowship (AACAF) is your chance to gain hands-on experience at the largest Latinx cultural arts center in the Central Valley! This paid, part-time fellowship runs from March to November 2025 and offers an incredible opportunity to work closely with experienced professionals in the field.

🎯 Who should apply?
If you're studying history, art, art history, anthropology, museum studies, American-Latino arts & culture, or Chicano/Chicana studies, this is for YOU!

💼 Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled at UC Merced, CSU Fresno, or one of the participating community colleges listed.

📅 Application Deadline: Extended to January 24, 2025!

Don’t miss out on this career-boosting opportunity!
🔗 For more info and to apply, visit arteamericas.org.

01/09/2025

🎨✨ Big art, big moves! SWIPE to see the whole process✨🎨

This week, we moved three large-scale paintings of Yosemite Valley & Death Valley by Stanislaus J. Sowinski across the UC Merced campus. 🚚💪🏻 These vibrant pieces will soon find new homes on campus, and we can’t wait to see where they’ll land! Stay tuned for updates on their next destinations. 👀🏡

Sometimes arts work is glamorous, but most of the time, we’re rolling up our sleeves, getting our hands dirty, and doing lots of heavy lifting and moving! 💼🖼️💥 It’s all part of bringing more art and inspiration to UC Merced!

01/08/2025

UC Merced’s Global Arts Studies faculty Jayson Beaster-Jones ( )and Patricia Vergara ( ) are two of thirteen collaborators on a new UC Multicampus Research Program Initiative (MRPI) grant that has received nearly $2 million to use arts and culture to spur climate action.

Led by Karolina Karlic ( ) from UC Santa Cruz, the UC Climate Action Arts Network (CAAN) will leverage art and design as a powerful medium to engage the public in climate resilience and sustainability. CAAN aims to set a benchmark for public universities globally in addressing climate challenges.

“Our work highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration,” added Karlic. “With the inclusion of colleagues across the UC system, we are not just addressing climate change—we are engaging our local and global communities to take meaningful action through the arts.”

Read the full UC Press Release at ucm.edu/u8opbw

12/11/2024

The Arts at UC Merced connect, inspire, and transform lives. 🎭 Between now and December 31st, every dollar you give is matched 1:1 up to $1,000 — meaning your gift can create twice the opportunity for creativity to thrive.

We’re only $125 away from this goal! Let’s come together to champion imagination at UC Merced – all gifts of $25 or more also receive complimentary membership to Friends of UC Merced Arts through the 2024/25 Academic Year. You can support UC Merced Arts through the link below - give to the general fund to have your gift DOUBLED!✨

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofCaliforniaMerced/give-to-uc-merced/pages/uc-merced-arts



📸: UC Merced students experiencing the Spring 2024 exhibition at La Galería, “Ruben A. Sanchez: Cosechando Sueños (Harvesting Dreams).” 🎨

12/10/2024

We’re thrilled to announce the next artist in the 2024/25 UpstART concert series - !! The performance will be on Saturday, February 1 at 3pm at The Art Kamangar Center at The Merced Theatre. Tickets are $15 General Admission and FREE for all college students (with ID) and children!

Okorie “OkCello” Johnson is an Atlanta-based cellist-composer, looper, improviser, and storyteller. His work centers on themes and expressions of the African Diaspora, while also exploring the phenomenon of musical prayer. Drawing upon his experience as a teacher and writer, Ok Cello immerses his audiences in vivid stories and songs, creating a richly layered, transcendent cello experience.

A huge thank you to our UpstART Season & Concert Sponsors!

The 2024/25 UpstART Season is co-sponsored by UC Merced’s Division of Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence (EJIE)
The OkCello concert is co-sponsored by a Friend of UC Merced Arts

12/09/2024

As we wish a fond farewell to our Fall '24 exhibition, we're preparing for La Galería's upcoming Spring '25 exhibition – "Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology," an exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI) on view from January 30 – April 19, 2025 (Opening Reception: January 30, 4 – 6 PM).

Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition that considers how artistic practices use kinship, healing, and restorative intervention to foster a deeper consciousness of our interconnectedness with the earth.

Actions for the Earth presents the work of eighteen intergenerational artists and collectives who place action, instruction, reciprocity, and exchange at the forefront of their practices. By sharing their participatory artistic interventions and healing strategies alongside research in ecology, science, and ancient beliefs, these artists remind us that we are connected within a constellation of living networks, inseparable from the planet and its environments.

Artists & Artworks in this post:
1. Lhola Amira, IRMANDADE: The Shape of Water in Pindorama, 2018-2020, HD video, single channel sound, film still. Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery, copyright Lhola Amira. .amira
2. Arahmaiani, Memory of Nature, 2013, Singapore. Courtesy the artist.
3. Hylozoic/Desires (Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tappeser), As Grand As What, 2021, 3 channel performance video; color, stereo sound, video still from As Grand As What (2021). Image courtesy of the artist.
4. Tabita Rezaire, Premium Connect, 2017, video with LED glow, still from Premium Connect (2017). Courtesy of the artist and Goodman Gallery, South Africa.
5. Cecilia Vicuña, Semiya (Seed Song), 2015, color, sound, HD video, 07:43, Courtesy Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York.
6. Zheng Bo, Ecosensibility Exercises, installation view, 2021, Gropius Bay, Berlin. Photo: Eike Walkenhorst. Courtesy the artist; Gropius Bau; Edouard Malingue Gallery.

Learn more

12/04/2024

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we unfortunately must cancel tonight’s “Late Night” event. Thank you to all who came out to this Fall’s Late Nights, and we look forward to hosting more in the Spring!!

Alma, Corazón y Vida: Latinx Art Legends from the Mike “Surito” Echeverría Collection is on view at La Galería and through December 6.

12/03/2024

It’s our LAST week with the incredible Alma, Corazón y Vida exhibition at La Galería and 📍
Don’t miss out on your last chance to spend time with this incredible artwork from Chicanx Art legends!

La Galería will be open today through Friday, December 6th from 10am to 6pm at El Portal 120.

Slide one: Gronk, A Jetter
Gronk, Backdrop for Los Faustinos

Slide two: Exhibition photo featuring Jose Orozco’s Kinesthetic Toys and artworks from Los Four

Slide three: Gronk, Set Piece for Ainadamar

12/03/2024

Come out for Auditions for Shakespeare in Yosemite's As Yosemite Likes It this Friday!!

Auditions this Friday at 5:00 for Shakespeare in Yosemite's As Yosemite Likes It. DM us or email Katie Brokaw [email protected] for details. Performance dates: April 24-27.