Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis

07/23/2026

The Manetti Shrem Museum is deeply saddened by the passing of Clint Reilly. His well-known civic leadership and philanthropy extended to UC Davis, where he was a founding member of the museum’s Advisory Board and offered wise counsel, a generous spirit, and a deep care for artists and students. Clint was a passionate champion of Northern California artists and sharing their work. We extend our condolences to his wife, Regent Janet Reilly, and family.

Publisher, longtime political consultant and real-estate magnate was 79

07/15/2026

Congrats to the Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio Program and Cassils!

07/13/2026

MORE FALL NEWS! The Manetti Shrem Museum is excited to announce “Out of Line: Art on the Edge,” opening on August 26.

What happens when the artist’s studio spills out into the world? And when the world necessarily makes its way into the studio? In the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, as political and cultural upheavals reverberated across the country, artists at UC Davis navigated these questions. In the winter of 1967–88, Bruce Nauman (M.A. ’66) taped a square on the ground of his studio and filmed himself walking around the perimeter. “Out of Line: Art on the Edge” takes his square as a formal provocation to investigate the boundaries of the artist studio.

Artists Mike Henderson, Malaquías Montoya, Bruce Nauman, Nancy Rubins, Dorothy Wiley and the student artists of UC Davis’ Third World Forum engage with film, print and performance to confront who they were and what their work meant in a world of radical change. They made work wherever and however they could: in collaborative workshops, student newsrooms, kitchens and living rooms. Through these frameworks, “Out of Line” challenges the arbitrary line that declares certain practices “artistic” and others “political.” While rooted in the politics of the late 20th century, this exhibition finds renewed meaning in the present day.

“Out of Line: Art on the Edge“ is curated by Ginny Duncan, guest curator, and Grace Xiao, former curatorial assistant, is on view through August 26 through December 5.

Image credits:
Dorothy Wiley, Cabbage, 1972. video with sound, transferred from 16 mm film, 9:00 min. © Dorothy Wiley Courtesy Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and Canyon Cinema.

Mike Henderson, The Shape of Things, 1981. Color video with sound, transferred from 16 mm film, 7:53 min. Courtesy of the artist and Haines Gallery, San Francisco.

Bruce Nauman, Dance or Exercise on the Perimeter of a Square (Square Dance), 1967–68. Black-and-white video with sound, transferred from 16 mm film, 8:24 min. Courtesy of Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York. © 2026 Bruce Nauman / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

07/06/2026

FALL NEWS! The Manetti Shrem Museum is excited to open its anniversary year of exhibitions with “Woody De Othello: coming forth by day” in August.

This solo exhibition, originated by Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), features a new series of works by the Oakland-based artist that explore the primordial relationship between body, earth and spirit. The museum is the only California venue for “coming forth by day.”

Known for his hand-built ceramics, Othello animates everyday objects — clocks, mirrors, phones, vessels — blurring the line between body and object. Through material experimentation and sculptural gesture, the exhibition considers how objects carry history, absorb meaning and serve as vessels for both spiritual and emotional experience. The exhibition features a new bronze sculpture created specifically for UC Davis.

Othello honors an important Northern California lineage of ceramic artists and expands that tradition by drawing on knowledge and philosophies from around the world. Rooted in precolonial and diasporic African traditions, Othello draws inspiration from spiritual practices, hermetic philosophy and cultural artifacts.

The exhibition is curated by Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) Curator Jennifer Inacio, with the support of PAMM Curatorial Assistant Fabiana A. Sotillo. The Manetti Shrem Museum presentation is organized by Susie Kantor, associate curator and exhibition department head, and is on view August 12–December 5, 2026.

Installation view, Woody De Othello: coming forth by day, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 2025–26. Photo: Oriol Tarridas

06/24/2026

BIG NEWS! The Manetti Shrem Museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary beginning this fall, and you’re invited to join us for a year of special exhibitions, celebratory events and unforgettable experiences as we look to the museum’s future.

Anniversary year highlights include:

⭐ Woody De Othello’s “coming forth by day” exhibition, and the debut of Othello’s public sculpture commissioned as an anniversary gift for the UC Davis campus

⭐ The launch of an ongoing exhibition in our galleries bringing renowned UC Davis artists into dialogue with overlooked figures and rising stars

⭐ A career survey of Oakland artist Kota Ezawa that debuts an ambitious new animation work

⭐ A first-of-its kind digitization partnership with UC Davis Library that expands public access to the Fine Arts Collection, making it available for the first time to researchers, students and art lovers

⭐ Other exhibitions and events to be announced soon!

“We look forward to sharing the many ways in which our future is inspired by our past throughout this anniversary year,” says Founding Director Rachel Teagle.

“The ‘Together Again’ galleries celebrate a transformed Fine Arts Collection with important new additions and affirm the Manetti Shrem Museum as home to the complex story of Northern California art — rich in legacy and always in the process of becoming.”

Keep following us here for updates, and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter so you don’t miss invites and news. Visit our 10th Anniversary web page (link in bio).

Image descriptions:

Visitor Services students and guests celebrate the museum’s first birthday in 2017. Along the top are the museum logo and the words "More art. More access. Always Free for All. Manetti Shrem Museum."

The museum’s grand opening in November 2016 featured fabric-covered rings strung through the building’s canopy.

Photos by Jose Luis Villegas and Karin Higgins

06/16/2026

Thanks to Tony Bravo and San Francisco Chronicle for featuring the museum's upcoming 10th annniversary year plans. We can't wait to share more details soon!

UC Davis’ Manetti Shrem Museum marks 10 years with Woody De Othello, Kota Ezawa, Manuel Neri and major new Northern California art initiatives.

06/15/2026

The Manetti Shrem Museum will be closed Friday, June 19, in honor of university’s observance of Juneteenth.

Come and visit Saturday, June 20 — the last day for “Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures” and the Arts & Humanities 2026 Graduate Exhibition. The museum will be closed for summer installation from June 21–Aug. 12.

06/12/2026

It’s graduation season, and time to celebrate. Catch two thought-provoking exhibitions before we close for the season.

Less than a month remains to see “Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures” before it closes on June 20. Plan your visit now to see this critically acclaimed solo exhibition by the Oakland artist:
“Working across sculpture, sound and video, Khoury builds a landscape of quiet disruption: skeletal structures that resemble bombed-out architecture, staircases that turn without destination, steel numbers that drift like time unmoored. The political is everywhere here—embedded, obscured, waiting to be noticed.” — East Bay Express

“Khoury brings a trove of symbols, associative words, non-linear histories and fugitive trajectories to her works. Her forms are spare, often having the exaggerated proportions and contrasts of German Expressionist mise-en-scénes such as Fritz Lang’s ;Metropolis’ or Tim Burton’s gothic styled films. … Khoury’s deadpan humor charges the work with unexpected warmth and tenderness.” — SquareCylinder

And don’t miss the final projects by 20 Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and doctoral students in art history, art studio, design, and performance studies taking part in this year’s Arts & Humanities 2026 Graduate Exhibition. From digital data and technology to the environment, healthcare and the body, these students push boundaries with their experimental research and creative expression. On view through June 20.

Image descriptions:
Associate Curator and Exhibition Department Head Susie Kantor discusses “Untitled (the elephant in the room)” with visitors. Details of "Body of Water" showing the ceramic tiles and sculptural elements. Visitors look at “Untitled (the elephant in the room)”.
Photos by Hung Q. Pham Photography; Muzi Li Rowe

06/12/2026

Join us this Saturday for a special-edition Art Spark with guest instructors from the Craft Center and activities inspired by “Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures.”

Learn how metal sculptures are cast and see what different types of metal look like at a microscopic level with bronze casting instructor and Materials Science graduate student Dylan Miley.

Missed our May clay activity? Build a collaborative clay sculpture with Carol Petrucci. Plus, if you made a tile during May Art Spark, this is a great time to pick it up!

Drop by on Saturday, June 13, 1–4 p.m.
Manetti Shrem Museum

06/12/2026

Congratulations to our graduating students from the Visitor Services team — Laila, Savannah and Gracie!

Through your warmth and enthusiasm, you’ve helped the museum, our exhibitions, programs and community shine brightly at UC Davis. Your contributions have enriched the visitor experience and left a lasting impact on the museum!

We are grateful for all you have brought to the museum and incredibly proud of everything you’ve accomplished. Congratulations on this exciting milestone, and we wish you all the best in the adventures ahead! 🎓