Open Inquiry: UC Arts

A new generation of artists emerging from the renowned art practice programs at the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis.

March 14 - April 12

Open Inquiry: UC Arts

Exhibition
Mar. 14 - Apr. 12

Opening Reception
Saturday, March 21
3:00PM to 6:00PM

Open Inquiry: UC Arts brings together a new generation of artists emerging from the renowned art practice programs at the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis. The art departments at these universities have long been recognized as seminal hubs of artistic experimentation and critical thought, consistently incubating artists who leverage academic investigation with artistic rigor. This exhibition features current students and graduates from the last two decades, whose innovative practices carry forward the artistic legacy of the UC arts. 

Grounded in the idea that research is not limited to laboratories or archives, Open Inquiry frames artistic practice as a vital mode of inquiry. Through multi-disciplined, critically engaged studio practices, the exhibiting artists question, test, analyze, and interpret—performing acts of research with their making processes. The art studio becomes a site for creative problem-solving, where painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and digital media operate as tools of critical inquiry. 

While support for arts funding and academic research faces mounting challenges, Open Inquiry underscores the essential role of public arts education. Across the UC system, art departments cultivate spaces for alternative learning rooted in material experimentation, social justice work, and personal exploration. Within these spaces, artists embrace the creative process as a methodology for challenging dominant narratives or making visible that which is obscured or dismissed, and many retain that research ethos throughout their careers. 

Open Inquiry asserts that now, more than ever, the graduates of the UC arts programs are creating essential work for an uncertain world. Their practices embody the values of intellectual and creative freedom, reminding us of the crucial role of the arts within the broader landscape of higher education. The exhibition aims to center artists as researchers who challenge our expectations, generate debate, and lead us to vital discoveries.  

Open Inquiry: UC Arts

A new generation of UC artists demonstrates how creative practice serves as essential research, challenging narratives and expanding the boundaries of inquiry.

Open Inquiry: UC Arts at the Sausalito Center For The Arts, brings together a new generation of artists emerging from the renowned art practice programs at the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis. The art departments at these universities have long been recognized as seminal hubs of artistic experimentation and critical thought, consistently incubating artists who leverage academic investigation with artistic rigor.

This exhibition, which runs from March 14 to April 16, 2026, features current students and graduates from the last two decades, whose innovative practices carry forward the artistic legacy of the UC arts. The opening reception is on Saturday, March 21, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Grounded in the idea that research is not limited to laboratories or archives, Open Inquiry frames artistic practice as a vital mode of inquiry. Through multi-disciplined, critically engaged studio practices, the exhibiting artists question, test, analyze, and interpret—performing acts of research with their making processes. The art studio becomes a site for creative problem solving, where painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and digital media operate as tools of critical inquiry.

“There is an ecosystem of dedicated faculty and ambitious students who draw from the energy of a large research university to make work that engages deeply with our contemporary moment,” said Open Inquiry’s co-curator Ginny Duncan.

While support for arts funding and academic research faces mounting challenges, Open Inquiry underscores the essential role of public arts education. Across the UC system, art departments cultivate spaces for alternative learning rooted in material experimentation, social justice work, and personal exploration.

Within these spaces, artists embrace the creative process as a methodology for challenging dominant narratives or making visible that which is obscured or dismissed, and many retain that research ethos throughout their careers.

“I believe in the many practical and meaningful reasons for studying art and carrying it into your professional life,” said Jennifer Wechsler, co-curator of Open Inquiry. She, along with Duncan, chose approximately 60 works in a variety of mediums for the exhibition. “Through the practice of art in our daily lives, minds can be changed, stories can be told, and personal experiences can be transformed into work that can impact the world,” said Wechsler.

Open Inquiry asserts that now, more than ever, the graduates of the UC arts programs are creating essential work for an uncertain world. Their practices embody the values of intellectual and creative freedom, reminding us of the crucial role of the arts within the broader landscape of higher education. The exhibition aims to center artists as researchers who challenge our expectations, generate debate, and lead us to vital discoveries.

Drawing on her experience as a former curator at UC Davis’ Manetti Shrem Museum, Duncan saw firsthand the transformative power of the Davis studio art department. “The art department has an incredible legacy of artistic experimentation and it is clear that this next generation is taking up that mantle and creating important, boundary-pushing work.”

Open Inquiry celebrates the continuation of incisive, relevant, and impactful work after graduation. Said Duncan, “I see this exhibition as a platform that allows us to highlight the value of art and artists within the UC system as well as pay tribute to a larger legacy of arts education that has been foundational to California's artistic landscape.”

Among the distinguished list of emerging artists represented in Open Inquiry are:

  • Painter Theodora Allen (UCLA ‘14)

  • Ceramicist Alex Anderson (UCLA MFA ‘18)

  • Visual artist and educator Kristiana Chan (UCB MFA ‘26)

  • Ceramic and installation artist Reniel Del Rosario (UCB ‘19)

  • Sculptor Ricki Dwyer (UCB MFA ‘19)

  • Sculptor Julia Haft-Candell (UCD '05)

  • Multimedia artist Mercy Hawkins (UCD MFA ‘21)

  • Painter Audrey Leshay (UCLA ‘19)

  • Ceramicist Amelia Lockwood (UCLA MFA ‘20)

  • Visual artist Nick Lowe (UCLA ‘02)

  • Painter Will Maxen (UCD MFA ‘23)

  • Painter and illustrator Hector F Munoz (UCB MFA ‘26)

  • Interdisciplinary artist Kelley O'Leary (UCD MFA ‘22)

  • Conceptual artist Helia Pouyanfar (UCB ‘19, UCD MFA ‘22)

  • Installation artist Sofie Ramos (UCB MFA ‘15)