Don’t Miss These 10 Fall ArtsConnect Events

The latest exhibition at Mandeville Art Gallery offers visitors a full sensory experience, with works based in scent, painting, sculpture, film, holography, game design and ceramics. The group show features nine artists and collectives who contemplate complex questions about the intersections of humans and machines, and what constitutes intelligence. Rather than focusing on the technology itself, “Omni Intelligent” questions how our world might be transformed more broadly by artificial intelligence.

The free exhibition is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. at Mandeville Art Gallery, led by the Department of Visual Arts in the School of Arts and Humanities.

Connection Jam

Weekly on Wednesdays | Epstein Family Amphitheater

Dancing is a way to cultivate joy. Through weekly “Connection Jam” dance workshops, participants are invited to gather and move together, playing without worrying about technique. Each session is led by a different Dance faculty member or guest instructor who brings expertise in a variety of forms, from Afro-Latin and Filipino folk dance to hip-hop and capoeira. No experience is necessary; the workshops are designed to be a space for radical joy and community building. 

“Connection Jam” was created by Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance Ana María Álvarez. The free workshops, held in partnership with ArtPower, are offered on Wednesdays.

The Art of Science

Through March 22 | Exhibition Gallery, Geisel Library

For the past five years, researchers from across the campus community have been invited to share captivating images reflecting the cutting-edge research taking place at UC San Diego. From oceanography and music to urban studies and pharmacology, the annual exhibition celebrates the intersection of art, science and society. The resulting showcase represents the striking — and sometimes surprising — imagery that arises from their work.

Created by the UC San Diego Library and inspired by the visually striking data sets curated for its Research Data Collections repository, the free exhibition features winning entries from 2021 through 2025.

Cinematic Arts Showcase

Oct. 18 | Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts 

Discover the creative visions of the UC San Diego community at the annual Fellowship Forum, presented by the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts. This three-part showcase spotlights the bold and original work of student, faculty and alumni fellows, featuring projects that span experimental documentaries, absurdist dark comedies and historically rooted explorations. Each session pairs curated film excerpts with dynamic conversations as creators share insights and invite audience engagement.

The Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, led by the School of Arts and Humanities, serves as a hub for creative and academic advancement in culture, music, theater, film and the arts.

Ghostly Labor

Oct 24 | Epstein Family Amphitheater

“Ghostly Labor” is a multidisciplinary performance by La Mezcla, a polyrhythmic dance and music ensemble rooted in Chicana, Latina and Indigenous traditions and social justice. This full-length work highlights historical events and the often-unseen experiences of California’s farm and domestic workers across generations. Blending tap, Mexican Zapateado, Afro-Caribbean movement, live music and animated archival video, the production features an all-female dance company, spoken word, Son Jarocho music from Veracruz and an Afro-Latinx percussive score. 

The performance is hosted by ArtPower, which presents performing and media arts that engage, energize, and transform the diverse cultural life of the university.

Music of the Americas

Nov. 8 | UC San Diego Park & Market

“Submerged” invites audiences to immerse themselves in a wide spectrum of tone colors and textures. The evening will begin with a conversation between musician Andrés Martín and visual artist Hugo Crosthwaite, followed by a concert featuring five compositions, including the title piece by Miguel del Águila. The program culminates in the unveiling of Hugo Crosthwaite’s 2025 Camarada art commission, inspired by Andrés Martín’s “Tango Bajo El Agua,” which will be performed alongside the artwork.

Located in the heart of Downtown San Diego, Park & Market is a vibrant venue to engage and enjoy arts and culture programs.

One Flea Spare

Nov. 13-22 | Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre

Set in plague-ravaged 17th-century London, “One Flea Spare” traps a wealthy couple, a sailor and a young girl in quarantine together. As class boundaries collapse under the strain of confinement, questions surface about who has the right to survive, to love and to be remembered. The play is directed by Department of Theatre and Dance graduate student Shyama Nithiananda, who seeks to portray the characters through a lens of shared humanity.

Each year, the Department of Theatre and Dance in the School of Arts and Humanities presents numerous student and faculty-led productions. Fall quarter will also feature “People, Places and Things,” directed by Kieran Beccia. 

Luv’Dancing

Nov. 14 | Conrad Prebys Music Center Experimental Theater

Blacktronika dance nights are an invitation to celebrate innovators of color who have profoundly shaped global dance music culture, with styles ranging from Jamaican dub to Chicago house and Detroit techno. The event will feature music from veteran DJ and Department of Music faculty King Britt as well as live percussion by Department of Theatre and Dance lecturer Daunté Fyall. 

The event is an extension of the course “Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music,” taught by Britt, who has composed, produced and performed electronic music around the globe for three decades. The fifth anniversary celebration is held in collaboration with community-based organization Future Is Color.

The Golden Girls Live! 

Dec 5-6 | Epstein Family Amphitheater

Written and starring Ginger Minj from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Hocus Pocus 2,” “The Golden Gals Live! A Christmas Musical” is a festive drag parody that stars your favorite sassy seniors — Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia — as they reunite for a one-of-a-kind Christmas extravaganza. Packed with hilarious holiday hijinks, side-splitting musical numbers and enough nostalgia to stuff your stocking, this yuletide celebration puts a golden twist on classic Christmas spirit. 

The musical is presented by ArtPower, which hosts dozens of performances throughout the year as well as ArtTalks, artist-led workshops, K-12 matinees and more.

Marco Fusi Performs Ti McCormack 

Dec 12 | Conrad Prebys Music Concert Hall

Ti McCormack (Assistant Professor of Music) is fascinated by music that makes audible the tactile relationship between a performer and their instrument. McCormack’s new composition, "...stretched across its axes,” will be performed for the first time in the U.S. by violinist/violist Marco Fusi. Audiences can expect to hear the viola — often overlooked as a solo instrument — in ways they may never have before. 

The concert will also feature world premieres by graduate composers William Kuo and Adam Zuckerman, whose works share a focus on sound’s inner qualities, energies, and textures. The concert represents one of more than 200 held each year in the Department of Music, part of the School of Arts and Humanities.