Global Arts Studies

UC Merced Arts Opens Season with East L.A. Band Las Cafeteras

October 3, 2025

UC Merced Arts has announced its 2025-26 season of performances, exhibitions and public art programs, beginning with the return of East L.A.’s electrifying band Las Cafeteras. The band’s Día de los Muertos-themed production, “Hasta La Muerte,” comes to Merced on Wednesday...

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...

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 ...

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...

Todo Cambia: Merced Human Rights Film Festival Kicks Off March 5

Artists and activists from around the country, including Merced, are taking part in a unique six-day film festival dedicated to social justice issues. The artists, along with leading scholars, will...

Three people featured in the film walk together

'Letters2Maybe' Explores Struggle for Stability and Happiness Among Immigrants

“Letters2Maybe,” the latest film by Professor Yehuda Sharim with UC Merced’s Department of Global Arts Studies, premiers next week at the New Jersey International Film...

Sharim's "Central Valley Portraits" Exhibit Showcased Online and at UC Merced Library

After a two-month run at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, a UC Merced professor's exhibit is now available for viewing across the globe. "Central Valley Portraits," an...

"Central Valley Portraits" Exhibit Showcases Everyday Life, Including Grief and Hope, in Merced

There's no doubt that it's been a tough year. A global pandemic, political division, social unrest, wildfires and more have inundated people's lives. Now, a local exhibit created by a UC...

Archiving National Agony: Sharim’s Short Film Being Featured in International Film Festivals

A UC Merced professor's latest work has been selected for a pair of international film festivals this year. Global Arts, Media, and Writing Studies Professor Yehuda Sharim is having his...