Arts & Humanities 2024 graduate exhibition

Every spring, the University of California, Davis, arts and humanities graduate students across the College of Letters and Science give their peers and the public a glimpse into what they’ve explored during their time at UC Davis with a multidisciplinary exhibition.

The Arts and Humanities 2024 Graduate Exhibition features the work of graduate students from eight disciplines, including anthropology, art history, art studio, comparative literature, creative writing, design, and English as well as Spanish and Portuguese. Final projects are on view June 6–24 at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. Art history students presented their research on May 31. In all, 25 graduate students in Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and doctoral programs are taking part.  

“The graduate student exhibition is a wonderful showcase for the kind of artistic talent we foster in our college,” said Dean Estella Atekwana. “Letters and Science is the home of the arts at UC Davis and, from our founding to today, we have demonstrated true multidisciplinary and international leadership in the creative fields that our students are taking with them into their very bright futures.”

Participating students
Anthropology: Ileanna Sophia Cheladyn, PhD. Art History: Margaret Culuris-Harp, MA; Kayetana Klinghoffer, MA; Leea Kramer, MA; Allison Nakazawa, MA; Lawrence Stallman, MA. Art Studio: April Camlin, MFA; Gracianne Kirsch, MFA; Elaine Nguyen, MFA; Nitheen Ramalingam, MFA; Nicole Rico, MFA; Tyson Roberts, MFA; Seongmin Yoo, MFA. Creative Writing: Briel Brown, MFA. Comparative Literature: Kelly Kagawa, PhD. Design: Ladan Joharizadeh, MFA; Damien Mitchell, MFA; Dongqi Mo, MFA; Pedro Ortiz, MFA; Satomi Zukeran, MFA. English: Trevor A. Bashaw, MFA; Grace Hayes, PhD; Rachel Wang, PhD; Laurel-Rose Xenoresteia, MFA. Spanish and Portuguese: Sara de Blas Hernández, PhD.

This year’s participants use sculpture, poetry, painting, drawing, video, textiles, digital fabrication, installations, multimedia and augmented reality to explore emotional states, gender and cultural identities, and sustainability and authenticity. 

“UC Davis arts and humanities students excel as experimental makers and thinkers,” said Rachel Teagle, the museum’s founding director. “During this year of celebrating the Eggheads and the arts at UC Davis, we’re especially proud to highlight their innovative work.”

Award recipients were announced at the June 6 public opening: LeShelle & Gary May Art Purchase Prize: April Camlin / Keister & Allen Art Purchase Prize: Nitheen Ramalingam / The Savageau Award for Design: Damien Mitchell.

The art prizes continue the tradition of purchasing graduate student work for the university’s Fine Arts Collection and building an endowment. The collection, founded by the art department faculty in the early 1960s, includes art by renowned graduates Bruce Nauman ’66, Stephen Kaltenbach ’67, Deborah Butterfield ’73, and Kathy Butterly ’90.

The annual Arts & Humanities graduate exhibition is presented by the Manetti Shrem Museum and the arts and humanities graduate programs of the College of Letters & Science.

*Image above: (1) From left to right: It’s Coming Back, hand-twisted rope, theraband tubing, ceramics, anatomical model, used hardware; Spirit House, hand-twisted rope, ceramics, chain, found objects, salvaged wood; and Where They Broke Me, hand-twisted rope, ceramics, clay slip, found objects; all 2024.