Quick Summary
- Exhibitions on view Sept. 17 through Dec. 28
- Campus Community Opening Celebration Thursday, Sept. 28, 5 p.m.
Editor鈥檚 note: For high-resolution photos of the exhibitions, go to the exhibition
The Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at the University of California, Davis, launches its fall season this month with two exhibitions highlighting the university鈥檚 distinctive legacy of nurturing and exhibiting innovative contemporary art. The centerpiece of the museum鈥檚 fall program is a major group exhibition of works by leading African American contemporary artists, including rarely exhibited works by artists connected with 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis. Also on view this fall is an immersive sound art installation by the experimental composer John Cage that returns to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis after premiering at the university nearly 50 years ago.
The Manetti Shrem Museum serves as the exclusive Northern California venue for Dimensions of Black following the exhibition鈥檚 acclaimed presentation at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego earlier this year. Dimensions of Black features more than 30 works by some of the most celebrated African American artists of the past three decades, many with close ties to California. Featuring works by David Hammons, Dread Scott, Theaster Gates, Lorna Simpson, Kerry James Marshall, Mildred Howard, Carrie Mae Weems and many others, the exhibition explores the artists鈥 shared interest in shaping a fresh understanding of black aesthetics in figurative and abstract art. Originally organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the exhibition includes several rarely seen works from the Manetti Shrem Museum鈥檚 own collection that have been added exclusively for the Davis presentation. Among these are multiple works that highlight 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis鈥 history as an incubator for artistic talent, such as a photograph by 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis graduate (master鈥檚 degree in fine arts) Jessica Wimbley and a sculpture by Horace Washington that was last seen in the seminal 1997 exhibition Reshuffling the Deck: Selections from the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Collections.
Highlighting 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis鈥 legacy as an incubator for interdisciplinary experimentation is the presentation of 33鈪, an interactive installation by composer John Cage that made its debut at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis nearly five decades ago. The 33鈪 exhibition invites visitors to co-create a unique, participatory auditory experience. A trailblazing figure in both contemporary classical music and conceptual art, Cage was among the many nationally prominent artists to occupy a residency at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis during the 1960s and 鈥70s. On Nov. 21, 1969, he premiered at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis his groundbreaking participatory work: a vast, empty auditorium lined around its perimeter with turntables, speakers and more than 300 arbitrarily selected vinyl records. Visitors were invited to play the records at random, creating a cacophonous sound that exemplified Cage鈥檚 interest in the use of chance and variation in musical composition. Equal parts conceptual art installation and postmodern performance, 33鈪 makes its reappearance at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis in homage to its premiere 48 years ago, utilizing records donated over the summer by community members.
Inaugurated in November 2016, the Manetti Shrem Museum represents a significant addition to Northern California鈥檚 vibrant arts scene and the latest milestone in 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis鈥 rich history as a center for artistic innovation. The museum鈥檚 fall season follows the acclaimed inaugural exhibition Out Our Way, which highlighted the work of artists including Wayne Thiebaud, Roy De Forest, William T. Wiley and others who helped establish the school鈥檚 early reputation as a leader among its peers for artistic instruction, a legacy that continues to this day.
鈥淎s the Manetti Shrem Museum approaches our first anniversary, we鈥檙e delighted to mount a fall season that exemplifies the ethos of openness, accessibility, and experimentation for which 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis鈥 arts programs have long been known,鈥 said Founding Director Rachel Teagle. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited for students, faculty, and the broader community to join us in renewing this creative spirit, as we continue to expand our role in Davis and among a growing national audience.鈥
The museum will host a Campus Community Opening Celebration on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 5 p.m.
Additional information
Dimensions of Black: Works for the Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego with underwriting support from Gail and George Knox, and Bernard Lumpkin and Carmine Boccuzzi.
Visitor information
Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art,
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: Noon鈥6 p.m.
- Thursday: Noon鈥9 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.鈥5 p.m.
- Monday: Closed.
- Admission is free to all.
Media Resources
Karen Nikos-Rose, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis News and Media Relations, 530-219-5472, kmnikos@ucdavis.edu