Mission

The UAG provides several exhibition platforms for intergenerational and interdisciplinary dialogue. The Critical Aesthetics Program features solo works of art – original commissions by the UAG – produced alternately by canonical, mid-career and emerging artists. Intended as a public “performative” between a given writer and artist, each commission produces a stand-alone installation/publication as a means of cultural commentary. Historically, the UAG is also known for its legacy of producing larger thematic group exhibitions – modernist, postmodernist and contemporary alike – spanning back to the gallery’s founding in 1964 by John Coplans. The UAG proudly continues this legacy by commissioning and producing thematic exhibitions that reflect the diverse interests of the faculty and student body. The UAG further promotes an active dialogue between UCI residents and the local/international art communities through colloquia, conferences, visiting artist lectures and theme-based film series, all of which are open and free to the public. As the galleries continue to mature, we stand committed to being an experimental exhibition space different from the current – largely traditional – art biennial and film festival platforms.