Today, in light of the Thanksgiving weekend, the Arts Blog is publishing on Tuesday to give you a head start on the holiday. And look for another Weekender next Thursday. Karen Nikos-Rose, Arts Blog Editor

Manetti Shrem Museum: Don’t miss final days of fall exhibitions this weekend

Make plans to visit these dynamic fall exhibitions before they close. Find out why Hyperallergic, the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, Sactown Magazine, Sacramento News & Review and 7x7 all consider these “must-see” exhibitions.

The Manetti Shrem Museum is open from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday. The museum be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but open Nov. 28 and 29. 

Read a full story on the fall exhibition now closing. 

The Manetti Shrem Museum will open up in January for two exhibitions. Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures

and Backstory: Digitizing the Museum Collection. Exact dates to be announced. 

Get gift ideas in the annual arts-related gift guide 

Every year, the Arts Blog offers a gift guide that pertains only to art-related gifts available on campus and in the region. This year is no exception. Read on as you find gifts at the Gorman Museum of Native American Art, the Craft Center and through the usuall "book store" channels. Most gifts are available online as well as in a brick-and-mortar location. And don't forget, you can always give the gift of Mondavi tickets to see a favorite performer. Those can be purchased at www.mondaviarts.org . 

Campus-related art gifts

Make it Shine with Kyle Cavan: Elevate your school pride with jewelry from Kyle Cavan. Featuring university iconography and selections from the limited Robert Arneson Egghead collection.

The Gorman Museum of Native American Art Store features a variety of Native American items sourced directly from Native artists and Native American-owned businesses. The gifts include glassware, cards, housewares, clothing and many other items.

Visit the museum and store, or shop online. 

UC Davis Craft Center offers glass and natural earth work in its lobby exhibition: “To Watch a Rock Grow: Ikigai C Ichigo Ichie’ an artistic expression of the natural world” featuring more than 2,000 hand-formed ceramic cherry blossoms, ceramic rocks, and birds to create unique reflective moments. You will find jewelry, ornaments, dishes and other tableware and many other great items for sale through Dec. 10 at the UC Davis Craft Center (next to the silo food area). Artists are Craft Center instructors Randy Won and Rachael Richards. The exhibition opened in October.  The Craft Center is open through Dec. 5. More details below.

Craft Center location and hours:

South Silo Building, (530) 752-1475; http:campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu/craftcenter/

Monday-Thursday 12:30 - 10 p.m.

Friday 12:30 - 7 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Off campus

The Pence Gallery in Davis has a gift shop https://pencegallery.org/visit/shop/, 212 D Street, Davis

The Artery Winter Market runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 31, https://www.theartery.net/. 

Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, https://www.crockerart.org/visit/store, 216 O Street
Sacramento

Next week 

For a different take on Alice in Wonderland, check out MOMIX at UC Davis

Wednesday, 7:30  p.m., Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis

Seamlessly blending illusion, acrobatics, and whimsy, MOMIX sends audiences flying down the rabbit hole in Moses Pendleton’s ALICE, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland.

Join MOMIX on a mind-bending adventure as Alice encounters time-honored characters, including the undulating Caterpillar, a lobster quadrille, frenzied White Rabbits, and a mad Queen of Hearts. ALICE reveals that nothing in MOMIX’s world is as it seems. Tickets and more information here. 

UC Davis Choirs perform songs of hope and judgment; get tickets now

The choirs of UC Davis undertake an evening of works inspired by the themes of “Hope and Judgment” in their fall quarter concert. The performance is Dec. 5 at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts and begins at 7 p.m.

Featuring the UC Davis Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, both directed by faculty member Nicolás Dosman, the concert offers an array of music that is inspiring and reflective. A special highlight the concert will be a performance of John Rutter’s Gloria, conducted by a graduate student in conducting and composition Peter Chatterjee, who recently conducted the UC Symphony Orchestra in an October performance. The Rutter will be performed with visiting artists in brass, percussion, and organ. 

The program includes two works by Hildegard von Bingen — O cruour sanguinis and O virtus Sapientie — as well as André Thomas’ I Dream a World, Randall Thompson’s The Last Words of David, Josephine Poelinitz’s A City Called Heaven, György Orbán’s Daemon irrepit Callidus, Mark Butler: Signs of the Judgment, Kim Andre Arnesen’s Even When He Is Silent, Z. Randall Stroope’s Revelation, Rollo Dilworth’s United in Purpose, Sergei Rachmaninoff’ Bogoroditse Devo Raduysya and Mack Wilberg’s “Jubilate Deo.”

Tickets are $12 UC Davis students; $15.50 children (under 18), $24 faculty/staff $27.50 and regular (reserved seating). Tickets are available at the Mondavi Center Ticket Office in person or by calling 530-754-2787 between noon and 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Tickets are also available online at Tickets.MondaviArts.org.

For more information about the Department of Music in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, visit arts.ucdavis.edu/music.

Fall 2025 UC Davis Art Studio Graduate Symposium on Tuesday

Join as Daisy Nam, director and curator of CCA Wattis Institute of Contemporary Art in SF, will give the keynote address at 4 p.m.  at the Art Studio Graduate Symposium. Following her talk, will be graduate student presentations. The event will conclude with a reception at 8 p.m. in the Maria Manetti Shrem Graduate Building.

Schedule:
Daisy Nam: 4 p.m. (Wyatt Pavillion Theatre)

Sean Olmstead, Nick Block and Marjorie Williams: 5:30 p.m. (266 Everson)

Lev Keatts, Julio Rodrigues and Gemma Padilla: 6 p.m.(266 Everson)

Erica Rawson, Lulu Smith and Davion Mack: 7 p.m. (266 Everson)

The event is free and open to all.

Next week is final concert week; plan now

Final week of concerts for quarter offers studio ensembles, ‘Big Bands,’ UC Davis Choir among others

Studio Ensembles

Monday, Dec. 1, 5–5:45 p.m., Pitzer Center, UC Davis campus

Brass Ensemble • Portia Njoku, director

Flute Ensemble • Stacey Pelinka, director

Harp Ensemble • Kerstin Allvin, director

Saxophone Ensemble • Kevin Stewart, director

Big Bands of UC Davis

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 7–8:30 p.m., at the Pitzer Center

Otto Lee, director

This concert includes the music of Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Wheeler, Alan Ferber, Terrell Stafford and more.

$12 UC Davis Students, $15.50 Children (under 18),

$24 Faculty/Staff, $27.50 Regular (Open Seating)