Art Galleries and Museums

• The Richard L. Nelson Gallery and Fine Art Collection features contemporary art exhibitions and draws from its 4,000 works of art.
• The Design Museum has changing installations of architecture, graphic design, costumes, textiles, folk art and popular culture.
• The C. N. Gorman Museum showcases contemporary Native American, Latino and African American art.
• The Memorial Union Art Gallery exhibits contemporary and historical California art.
• The Craft Center Gallery shows an array of work by area artists.
• Peter J. Shields Library displays works of current and former members of the UC Davis art department.

Center for History, Society, and Culture

The Social Theory and Comparative History graduate teaching program of the Center for History, Society, and Culture provides training in history, models and methods of human behavior from across the social sciences. It constitutes a valuable research tool for doctoral candidates conducting cross-disciplinary research and an excellent degree credential. It offers students in anthropology, comparative literature, cultural studies, economics, English, geography, history, political science, and sociology training in theoretically-informed interdisciplinary historical analysis.

Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts includes an 1,800 seat state-of-the-art Jackson Hall and a 250-seat studio theater. The Mondavi Center explores the full range of the performing arts, from the traditional to the innovative, and from diverse cultures and disciplines through presentation, education, public service, and research. As part of the UC Davis mission as a land grant university, Mondavi Center provides outstanding cultural programming, support for the University's academic departments, and a professional laboratory to train students in the performing arts. Mondavi Center is committed to maintaining state-of-the art, world-class performance facilities and providing the highest quality experience for both artists and audiences.

Department of Music

The Department of Music presents more than 100 events each year by a range of ensembles, including the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra, University Chorus and Chamber Singers, Empyrean Ensemble, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, Early Music and Baroque Ensembles, Jazz Band, Gospel Choir, Hindustani Vocal Ensemble, Gamelan Ensemble, and Samba School. The department sponsors an annual artist-in-residence program, bringing internationally renowned artists for performances and lectures. The department also presents a free weekly noon-concert series, which features visiting artists, department ensembles, and student performers in an informal setting.

Department of Theatre and Dance

The Department of Theatre and Dance includes graduate students in the M.F.A. Dramatic Art and the Ph.D. Performance Studies programs. The department is a resident producer in the world-class Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts which houses the most advanced playing space in Northern California. Performances that are directed by seasoned faculty members, professional guest directors from Great Britain, and graduate students – plus a dynamic display of scenery, props, and costumes – all contribute to the engaging experience and professional quality of UC Davis productions.

Department of Special Collections

The Department of Special Collections (located in the Peter J. Shields Library), houses the library's rare books, manuscript collections, the University Archives, and other noncirculating research materials requiring care and control that cannot be provided in the open stacks. The Department's major purposes are to acquire these materials, make them available for use, and preserve their integrity for future generations of students and scholars. Its collections have grown to more than 129,500 volumes and 17,200 linear feet of archives and manuscript collections, as well as other related materials that are available for research and instruction.

UC Davis Humanities Institute

The UC Davis Humanities Institute (DHI) is an interdisciplinary research center that fosters intellectual collaborations and facilitates access to research resources for faculty and graduate students who are actively engaged in research and teaching in the humanities, the arts, cultural studies, and the humanistically-oriented social sciences. It advocates for the humanities within the UC Davis community and works with funding agencies to secure individual and programmatic resources for the Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies faculty. The DHI is also the home of the California Cultures Initiative.