News Archive - Erika Johnson

National Medal of Arts Awarded to UC San Diego Alumna Carrie Mae Weems

Carrie Mae Weems, a celebrated American artist and University of California San Diego visual arts alumna, was presented the National Medal of Arts by President Joe Biden at a White House ceremony on Oct. 21. Artist Mark Bradford, whose work is included in the university’s public art collection, the Stuart Collection, was also recognized.

Free Will: A Metaphysical Force or Social Mediator?

Two UC San Diego philosophers in the School of Arts and Humanities are examining a centuries-old debate about the nature of free will from two angles—whether the universe’s makeup allows for the freedom of choice and the way free will functions in society as a method of cooperation.

Cross-campus Exhibit Bridges Art and Science

This fall UC San Diego is among 70 institutions taking part in a five-month-long regional exploration of the intersections between art and science, led by Getty. The sprawling art event—called “PST ART: Art & Science Collide”—extends from Los Angeles to San Diego and Palm Springs.

Dancing Joyously for Justice

Ana María Álvarez calls herself an “artivist.” As head of UC San Diego’s dance area in the Department of Theatre and Dance, she is expanding the notion of dance as a tool for imagining new futures. "Art has the capacity to shift worlds and redefine narratives."

19 Faculty Join the School of Arts and Humanities

They are arts activists and philosophers of language, scholars of avant-garde children's literature and composers of experimental music. The School of Arts and Humanities welcomes 19 new faculty members for the 2024-25 academic year.

Farfy Foundation Gift Spurs Student-Led Music Festival

Thanks to a gift from Marco Londei and Liquin Wang—founders of the Farfy Foundation—undergraduate students will have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of creating a musical production through a new course in UC San Diego’s Department of Music that will culminate in a student-produced music festival on campus in May 2025.

UC San Diego’s Mandeville Art Gallery Receives Grant from New York-Based Teiger Foundation

Since 1966, UC San Diego’s Mandeville Art Gallery has presented highly experimental contemporary art within the context of a major research university and the greater region. The gallery also serves as a laboratory for learning about curatorial practice, with programs for students to gain hands-on skills in museum studies.

Hypnotic Art Installation Celebrates Black Movement and Liberation

This summer, Mandeville Art Gallery at UC San Diego presents a new video commission called "The Portal's Keeper," which explores liberated Black realities by artist LaJuné McMillian.

Associate Professor of Literature Brandon Som Wins Pulitzer Prize in Poetry

Love and respect anchor the words written by Associate Professor of Literature Brandon Som in his latest work, “Tripas: Poems,” which garnered the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Department of Music alumna Mary Kouyoumdjian's multimedia work “Paper Pianos," which melds music and audio documentary with first-person stories of refugees, was also named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Music this year.