Arts and Culture

Empathy is the Central Theme of Todo Cambia Film Festival

February 25, 2026

Brightly colored photo of Assyrian women from Miram Ohan multimedia project

em·pa·thy (noun): the ability to recognize, understand and share the thoughts, emotions and perspectives of another person. It is a means of connection, a path to understanding. Can you see where I’m coming from? Walk a mile in my shoes. Empathy is the keyword for the 2026...

UC Merced Holds Toloma 5k Run in Honor of Native American Heritage Month (Slideshow)

Members of the community joined UC Merced students, faculty and staff and their families for the annual "UC Merced Toloma 5k Fun Run". The event is held every year in honor of Native...

Lars Howlett displays the Baltic Wheel design for UC Merced's labyrinth.

Labyrinth Takes Shape in UC Merced’s Kelley Grove

A temporary labyrinth has taken shape on the UC Merced campus. The labyrinth, which is an ancient pattern people walk to reflect, was built by master...

Local activist Ana María Fabián Lomelí is seen in a still from "Letters2Maybe."

Merced Premieres Professor's Films as Their International Acclaim Grows

Film festivals across the world continue to reach out to filmmaker and Professor Yehuda Sharim to invite him to screen his latest films "El Ojo Comienza En La Mano" (translated to...

An image shows stills from the film "El Ojo Comienza En La Mano."

Professor's New Film Featuring Campesino Artist to Premiere in Merced

The new film by filmmaker Yehuda Sharim, "El Ojo Comienza En La Mano" ("The Eye Begins in the Hand"), features the life work of Central Valley artist and muralist Rubén A. Sánchez...

UC Merced Children’s Opera Returns with First Live Production Since 2019

For the 12th year, UC Merced Children’s Opera team will offer a short opera for the young and young at heart. “How to be a Superhero” is an original story full of hilarious,...

Professor's Central Valley Film 'Letters2Maybe' Nominated for Major Award in Vienna

Ethnocineca, the International Documentary Film Festival Vienna, is featuring Professor Yehuda Sharim's latest feature-length film, "Letters2Maybe," this month. The eight-day...

GAMWS Hosting Spring Events in April and May

Just in time for spring, the Department of Global Arts, Media and Writing Studies (GAMWS) is sponsoring several events over the next few weeks. The fourth annual GASP Faculty Concert ...

Sofia Andom, Cat Flores, Bella Camfield and Bethy Harmelin are seen sitting on the grass.

Shakespeare in Yosemite's 'Love's Labor's Lost' Ready to Hit the Stage

Yosemite National Park is once again serving as the backdrop for a loose adaptation of one of Shakespeare's comedies. Shakespeare in Yosemite's "Love's Labor's Lost" will...

UC Merced Professor Yehuda Sharim is seen in this 2021 photo.

Sharim to Serve as Artist-in-Residence at Virginia Tech, JGU in Germany

Professor Yehuda Sharim is sharing his experiences in cinema and community engagement with students at universities across the country and the globe. The Department of Global Arts Studies...