Envisioning the Future of the University Art Gallery

From a place to freely collaborate to existing as a “living laboratory” for students, a new commitment to arts on campus brought the community together recently in an effort to help shape the University of California San Diego's University Art Gallery’s exciting—and student-focused—future.

Led by the newly established Arts and Community Engagement initiative, a public discussion was held inside the gallery itself, where five prominent gallery directors from top universities across the nation answered the question “Why is a university art gallery important?”

Amy Adler, chair of the Department of Visual Arts, worked closely with Arts and Community Engagement on the selection of panelists, who she says were chosen based on the wide range of university models they represent and her admiration for the success of their leadership and programs. Panelists included representatives from institutions including UC Irvine, Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, San Diego Mesa College and UC Berkeley. 

“With the surge in support for the arts on campus, and with the valuable insights of our colleagues at other institutions, we look forward to finding a new path forward for our own University Art Gallery,” Adler said.

The current gallery location at UC San Diego's Mandeville Center is about to receive a multi-million dollar upgrade as part of a planned renovation of Ridge Walk. In addition to a new design to the gallery’s facade that will better welcome visitors, much-needed improvements to the infrastructure are planned that will result in a new, state-of-the-art gallery space.

Adler said she hopes the renovated gallery, with a completion date of early 2021, will “once again provide a valuable service to our students, campus and community, but also be leaders of art research and practice on the global stage.”

The public discussion also comes at an important time for UC San Diego. Since 1965, the University Art Gallery has been on the leading edge of artistic practice. Visitors gained insights into the techniques and ideas that shape the cultural landscape, and the gallery itself has benefited from the broader interdisciplinary environment that thrives on campus.

If you are a journalist looking to learn more about what the future of university art galleries should look like, Amy Adler is available to share her expertise – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today. The current UC San Diego Department of Visual Arts chair, Amy Adler has an exhibition history that includes solo shows at the museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, the Aspen Art Museum, The UCLA Hammer Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. 

To read more about the public discussion held at UC San Diego– please see the media release below .