Support the Arts at UC Merced

Individual and Corporate supporters sustain the vibrant arts experiences here at UC Merced through their partnership and generosity.

Contributions from arts advocates like you are essential to our programs – click below to explore the different ways we can work together to amplify and expand the arts in Merced.

Friends of UC Merced Arts

Individuals can support the Arts at UC Merced through a Friends of UC Merced Arts membership that also provides a variety of exclusive benefits throughout the year, such as Member Preview Nights and Early Ticket Access. Members’ contributions help us to support and expand the artistic landscape of UC Merced for both our students and the broader community

Thank you to our 2023 – 2024 Friends of UC Merced Arts for your partnership and support in bringing great arts opportunities to UC Merced and the Central Valley!

Click here to learn more about the Friends of UC Merced Arts Membership Program.

UpstART Sponsorships

Coming Soon.

Permanent Collection Fund

The Permanent Collection at the University of California, Merced, features artwork by California artists, with a high level of focus on artists from and working in California's Central Valley. The Collection is intentionally comprised of artwork by artists at a variety of career levels, from established artists who have been actively working for decades, to early-career artists who have displayed impressive talent at a young age. The Collection also features artwork in multiple mediums, including oil & acrylic paintings on canvas & panels, watercolor paintings, serigraph & linocut prints, sculpture, and mixed media.

Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection are evaluated semi-annually, and for a limited time, all contributions to the Permanent Collection Fund will be matched by UC Merced (up to $50,000 per year).

Contact Collin Lewis for more information.

La Galería Exhibition Fund

La Galería presents exhibitions annually to support the gallery's mission of bringing the art of the world to Merced, and bringing the art of Merced to the world. Contributions to the Exhibition Fund help to support La Galería's daily operations and installations.

Contact Grace Garnica for more information.

Public Art Endowment

The Public Art Endowment was established in 2022 to expand the campus's collection of public art, including sculptures, murals, landscape art, and special artworks and artifacts. Contributions to the Public Art Endowment will expand the impact of this fund in perpetuity.

Contact Collin Lewis for more information.

Shakespeare in Yosemite

Shakespeare in Yosemite brings short, accessible, and FREE productions of Shakespeare’s plays to Yosemite National Park for Earth Day and Shakespeare’s birthday each April. Our shows are 90 minutes long, feature lots of music, and are adapted to address issues relevant to Earth Day and Yosemite. We say that Shakespeare is a renewable cultural resource: we can adapt these plays in new ways each year without damaging them. Just like Shakespeare himself did, we rework old stories to make them new! We use them to talk about the issues facing the park and the planet, offering messages of hope for the future and joy in the natural world.

If you'd like to make a tax deductible donation to Shakespeare in Yosemite, allowing us to keep producing free shows and films, you may do so here.

Children's Opera

The UC Merced Children's Opera provides children in the San Joaquin Valley with high-impact and interactive arts experiences that introduce them to performing arts and UC Merced. Our performances are welcoming and empowering so that students feel comfortable with and excited by the idea of attending university themselves.

If you'd like to support the Children's Opera with a contribution, you may do so here.

Additional Giving Options