Need a break from the summer heat? Looking for free things to do in Davis? Want to take in some culture? From Native American art to student murals and contemporary sculpture, here are five free exhibits to explore at UC Davis this summer. Pro tip? Parking is FREE on campus during weekends!
Gorman Museum of Native American Art
If you haven't been to the Gorman Museum of Native American Art this past year, now is the time to go! There are amazing exhibits on display currently but they will be ending soon.
Photographic and multimedia artwork by award-winning artist Shelley Niro is on view through Aug. 30. Niro is widely known for her ability to explore traditional stories, transgress boundaries and embody the ethos of her matriarchal culture. A member of the Kanyen’kehaka (Mohawk) Nation, she uses a wide variety of media, including photography, installation, film and painting, to bring greater visibility to Indigenous women and girls. The exhibition began in late January.
"Indigenous Futurisms," a selection of alien, superheroes and Star Wars-inspired artwork, is on display through Sept. 1. A selection of works by Native American foundational artists are also on display in the Gorman's Collection Gallery.
My work is a reflection of a lifetime love affair with comic books, toys, TV and film. Taking my passions and blending them with my Native perspective, artistic background and the desire to simply be me. Basically I am just trying to have fun and get back to that kid that went to art school to begin with, wanting to create artwork that I want to see and make just for the hell of it.
— Jeffrey Veregge
Located at 181 Old Davis Rd., the Gorman is open Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., and noon - 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Parking is free on weekends in Lot 5A next to the museum.
Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art
The Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art re-opens with two new exhibits on Aug. 12. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the museum will have a series of special exhibitions featuring new works, events and initiatives that look to the museum’s future and engage visitors and the university community.
"Woody De Othello: coming forth by day," originated by Pérez Art Museum Miami or PAMM, features a new series of works by the Oakland artist that explore the primordial relationship between body, earth and spirit. Othello honors an important Northern California lineage of ceramic artists and expands that tradition by drawing on knowledge and philosophies from around the world through a decolonial lens. Using material experimentation and sculptural gesture, the exhibition considers how objects carry history, absorb meaning and serve as vessels for both spiritual and emotional experience. The exhibition features a new bronze sculpture created specifically for UC Davis. The Manetti Shrem Museum is the only California venue featuring "coming forth by day."
"Woody De Othello: coming forth by day" is organized by PAMM Curator Jennifer Inacio, with the support of PAMM Curatorial Assistant Fabiana A. Sotillo. The Manetti Shrem Museum presentation is organized by Susie Kantor, associate curator and exhibition department head.
"Out of Line: Art at the Edge" explores Davis as a site of both artistic practice and political protest during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. Inspired by conceptual artist and alum Bruce Nauman’s video work Dance or Exercise on the Perimeter of a Square (Square Dance), 1967–68, this exhibition investigates the boundaries of the artist studio. Artists with ties to UC Davis include Mike Henderson and Malaquías Montoya, professors emeriti; Ester Hernandez, Nauman, Dorothy Wiley, and the students of UC Davis’ Third World Forum. The artists engage with film, print and performance to confront who they were and what their work meant in a world of radical change.
Explore student art at Shields Library
OK, so the library isn't a traditional museum, but one could argue it is a "please, touch" museum for books ... still with me? Then head to the first floor of Shields Library to see a new mural created by UC Davis undergraduates. The mural emphasizes the importance of keeping knowledge accessible, visible and honest through collective storytelling.
Located in a large, open study area in Shields’ east wing (at the far end of the first floor from the main entrance), the mural is the stunning finale to a spring quarter project by 13 students in the ART 171/CHI 171 Mural Workshop, a for-credit course taught by Jose Arenas.
Vibrant imagery of students, The California Aggie newspaper, and an oak tree bearing the words “Saber es Poder” (“Knowledge is Power”) are among several elements that explore the library as a space where preservation and empowerment meet.
Also in the library, on display until August 19, "Celebrating 100 Years of the Mother Road: Route 66." The two‑case exhibition is located in the lobby, next to the main stairwell, and includes select materials from the Archives and Special Collections Department.
Chinese calligraphy exhibit at the International Center
An exhibit of Chinese characters and calligraphy is now on display in the lobby of the International Center through the end of October. The works are the final projects of students in the first-year seminar Demystifying and Unlocking the Beauty of Chinese Characters.
In this seminar, students explored Chinese culture and philosophy through Chinese characters and calligraphy. For their final projects, students articulated how Confucian, Daoist and other philosophical ideas were reflected in their work and explained how their choice of script supported these concepts.
Students also applied key principles — such as unity, continuity, rhythm and motion — and examined the Yin–Yang balance within their compositions. Through these works, students connected their artistic choices to the cultural and philosophical themes studied in the seminar and used Chinese characters and calligraphy as a meaningful form of expression.
The International Center, located at 463 California Ave., is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Other UC Davis Museums to Visit by Appointment
If you're looking for other educational museum experiences, check out these department museums — just be sure to call or email ahead of time to confirm summer hours and/or appointment availability.
The UC Davis Department of Anthropology Museum collection began in 1962 with the purchase of the Clinton Hart Merriam Ethnographic Basketry Collection with the understanding that the baskets would form the nucleus of a departmental research museum at UC Davis. Since then, the museum has grown and now maintains collections of archaeological, ethnographic, biological and archival materials as part of its teaching, research and public service mission. The collections are maintained in perpetuity and made available to qualified individuals, institutions, or organizations for research, education, and/or temporary display purposes. Find its online galleries here.
Hours are by appointment Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information or to make an appointment, contact: 530-757-3546 or [email protected].
The Bohart Museum of Entomology, founded in 1946, is dedicated to teaching, research and service. With the seventh largest insect collection in North America, the collection holdings total more than seven million specimens of terrestrial and fresh water arthropods. The museum is also home of the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity of California's deserts, mountains, coast and the Great Central Valley.
The museum, located at 455 Crocker Lane, is typically open to the public during the academic year on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1 - 4:30 p.m. (Summer hours may vary.) To schedule tours or borrow displays, contact: 530-754-0722 or [email protected].
Looking for more events?
Whether you're escaping the summer heat or planning a weekend visit, UC Davis offers several free museums and art exhibits open to the public throughout the summer. And check out our Events Calendar for all the latest happenings in the College of Letters and Science.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE STORIES
American Essays and Interviews
For this edition of "Books of the Month," our list kicks off with a newly published collection by Zinzi Clemmons, associate professor of English and director of creative writing at UC Davis. "Freedom: Essays" was published on June 9, 2026, just a month ahead of the 250th birthday of the U.S.
5 Fun Finds in the UC Davis Paleontology Collection
The UC Davis Paleontology Collection contains thousands of specimens, the oldest of which are nearly 2 billion years old. In this listicle, faculty member and collections manager David Gold highlights some of his favorite specimens.