Arts and Culture

Merced Trio to Share Knowledge, Visions as UC Merced Artists-in-Residence

February 5, 2026

UC Merced artists in residence Ruben Aguilera Sanchez, Frank Ayala and Abel Corchado

Three Merced painters, united in friendship and in their steadfast determination not to compromise their creative values, are serving as UC Merced’s first locally based artists-in-residence. The brushes of Ruben Aguilera Sanchez, Frank Ayala and Abel Corchado create surreal scenes of...

National Writing Project Kicks Off Under New Leadership

It’s a new school year, which also happens to be a new chapter of the UC Merced Writing Project. The UC Merced Writing Project is a local affiliation of the National Writing Project, which...

Outgoing Chancellor Dorothy Leland cut the ribbon to signify the opening of the second phase of the Merced 2020 Project.

UC Merced Unveils Second Phase of Merced 2020 Project, Says Thank You to Leland

Two simple words, “Leland Legacy,” captured the significance of Wednesday’s opening event for the second phase of the Merced 2020 Project, an event that doubled as a goodbye and...

ShiPu Wang's curated exhibition titled “Chiura Obata: An American Modern” on display at the Crocker Museum in Sacramento.

First Sacramento, then the Smithsonian for Arts Faculty Member’s Curation

What is art’s place in turbulent times? How does an immigrant live and thrive in a host country with laws that render one’s existence alien? And how does one continue to see beauty even...

UC Merced's new Multicultural Center opened last month after years of searching for a permanent space on campus.

New Multicultural Center Captures Past, Present and Future of UC Merced

Diversity, equity and inclusion are pillars of UC Merced’s mission to serve, teach and conduct research. After years of working to find a permanent support space for students of all...

The Children’s Opera is geared toward children ages 3 and older and is just 45 minutes in length.

Annual UC Merced Children’s Opera Showcases the Arts to Local Little Ones

Parents don’t have to venture to San Francisco to give their children a taste of opera. With UC Merced’s Children’s Opera, little ones can have a unique cultural experience without...

When Art Imitates Art: The Centuries-Old Tradition of the Copyist

There’s a striking image of “San Andres” that was recently on display at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center. The illumination of the saint’s torso and visage are iconic....

GAMWS Spring Showcase to Exhibit Student Art

Where do Shakespeare and swing dancing collide? At UC Merced’s Global Arts, Media & Writing Studies (GAMWS) Spring Showcase. For the second time this academic year, students, faculty and...

Shakespearean Sustainability Gets Curtain Call in Yosemite

Unlike traditional theater productions, there was no red curtain, special lighting, microphone feedback or elaborate stage makeup at Shakespeare in Yosemite. Instead, squirrels scurried across the...

A Night of Community Art Showcases Principles of Community

Fourteen students, faculty and staff members drew upon their artistic skills to create an array of art pieces to showcase at UC Merced’s Night of Community Art on April 19. The event is the...