Event Date
Exhibit runs March 14 – April 16, 2026
Reception March 21, 3-6pm
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, Davis, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles. 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.
“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.
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.”
“I believe in the many practical and meaningful reasons for studying art and carrying it into your professional life,” said Jennifer Bailey 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.”
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:
- Sculptor Julia Haft-Candell (UCD '05)
- Multimedia artist Mercy Hawkins (UCD MFA ‘21)
- Painter Will Maxen (UCD MFA ‘23)
- Interdisciplinary artist Kelley O'Leary (UCD MFA ‘22)
- Conceptual artist Helia Pouyanfar (UCB ‘19, UCD MFA ‘22)
- 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)
- Painter Audrey Leshay (UCLA ‘19)
- Ceramicist Amelia Lockwood (UCLA MFA ‘20)
- Visual artist Nick Lowe (UCLA ‘02)
- Painter and illustrator Hector F Munoz (UCB MFA ‘26)
- Installation artist Sofie Ramos (UCB MFA ‘15)
About Sausalito Center For The Arts
The Sausalito Center For The Arts (SCA) was established in 2021 through a collaboration between the Sausalito Art Festival Foundation, ICB Arts Association, Marin Open Studios, and dedicated community, business, and art leaders. Located at 750 Bridgeway in downtown Sausalito, its mission is to enrich the cultural experience and unite the community through diverse artistic expression for the benefit of all. SCA's programs build connections, create dialogue, and transform the community through understanding, inclusion, and acceptance, continuing Sausalito's rich artistic legacy as a haven for creatives. SCA is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Read about the impact SCA has on the community here.