Arts and Culture

Into the Woods: Nature Works its Magic in Shakespeare in Yosemite

April 15, 2025

As Yosemite Likes It UC Merced performers

If Arden, the sprawling, wild forest in William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” were in the United States instead of the Bard’s imagination, it would certainly be a national park. Like Yosemite. That is why this light comedy is an ideal fit for the annual UC Merced...

‘Light Up the Lantern’ to Raise Funds for At-Risk Youth

The UC Merced Police Department will host its annual Light Up the Lantern event on Sept. 19 to support the campus’s Police Mentor Program. In 2006, UC Merced police officers formed a partnership with...

Children’s Opera Series Returns for Sixth Year

Thousands of area children will attend performances of “Who Stole B-Flat?” on the UC Merced campus this week as part of an effort to expose Merced County youth to opera and theater. In addition to...

Art Show Turns 10, Bids Farewell to Founder

Gail Benedict left San Diego 14 years ago to join the intrepid team of individuals charged with creating the University of California’s newest campus in the heart of the Central Valley. Like many,...

Professor Directs ShakespeareFest's 'Winter's Tale'

Tragedy and comedy come to life in “The Winter’s Tale,” directed by UC Merced’s very own Katherine Brokaw. Presented by Merced ShakespeareFest, the four-act play is among the last written by William...

Humanities Center to Host Visiting Lecturers

The next week will be a busy one for the Center for the Humanities at UC Merced. David Palumbo-Liu, the Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor of Comparative Literature at Stanford University, will be on...

Scholarship Helps UC Merced Senior Fulfill Dream of Studying Abroad

Lorraine Sturdevant always wanted to explore other countries, but finances were always an obstacle. But winning a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship allowed her to take her first...

Student-run Journal Showcases Historical Essays, Reviews

Most UC Merced students have the desire to help shape the university — whether it’s the culture or the curriculum. Rocco Bowman was no different. Bowman is the co-founder of the Undergraduate...

Slain Civil Rights Activist to Receive Spendlove Prize

Viola Gregg Liuzzo, a civil rights activist who was killed by the Ku Klux Klan while driving another activist home from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in March 1965, has been named the...

Urban Artist to Create Original Work for Public During Residency

Arts UC Merced Presents will bring internationally renowned artist Gronk Nicandro to the San Joaquin Valley to emphasize the role art plays in people's lives, foster artists’ collaborations and give...