At the Gorman

The Gorman Museum of Native American Art newly reopened in its bigger, better space in September. The opening exhibition “Contemporary California Native Art” includes about 40 works by 20 artists, all members of California tribes. There are more than 2,000 works in the total collection.

The museum is open noon to 5 p.m. on weekends and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and admission is free.

Closed Monday, Tuesday and University holidays.

STILL: Racism in America, A Retrospective in Cartoons at Design Museum

Through Sunday, April 21 at 4 p.m., The Design Museum, 124 Cruess Hall, free to the public

The UC Davis Design Museum explores racism through cartoons in the installation “STILL: Racism in America, A Retrospective in Cartoons.” Showcasing the work of pioneering father/daughter cartoonists the late Brumsic Brandon Jr. and Barbara Brandon-Croft, the exhibition runs Jan. 23 through April 21.

Brandon Jr. (1927– 2014) and Brandon-Croft (1958– ) chronicled the nation’s cultural landscape in their comic strips through the lens of racism. The elder Brandon, who created Luther in the late sixties, and was later syndicated by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate until 1986, was also known for his blistering editorial cartoons. Where I’m Coming From is the work of his youngest daughter, the nation’s first Black woman cartoonist in the mainstream press; it debuted in 1989 in the Detroit Free Press. Universal Press Syndicate later distributed her provocative feature until 2005. For six decades, their respective pens lay bare the truth: Nothing has changed. This retrospective reveals how vividly the specter of racism remains in America… “STILL. ”

Cartoon design is one of many on display when the Design Museum at UC Davis opens its new exhibit next week. (Courtesy art)

“STILL” was originally exhibited at the Medialia Gallery in New York City, then at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University and was curated by Tara Nakashima Donahue, the assistant director for Medialia Gallery in New York. In addition to “STILL,” she has curated the “From Panel to Panel” comics art series since 2008.

“STILL” is presented in conjunction with Darnel Degand, assistant professor, UC Davis School of Education, and the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University.

At the Manetti Shrem

For more information visit the museum site.

The Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis features internationally acclaimed sculptor Deborah Butterfield, pioneering Chicano activist artist Malaquias Montoya, and beginning Jan. 28, “Shiva Ahmadi: Strands of Resilience.” opening Sunday, Jan. 28. Ahmadi, a professor of art at UC Davis, uses painting as a form of truth-telling, combining luminous colors and mystical beings with violent imagery to draw attention to urgent global issues of migration, war and brutality against marginalized peoples.

Also at the museum: ‘Pyro Futures’ Opens at Manetti Shrem Museum This Month

through Sunday, June 16

Charred land may not look like much at first glance, but a controlled burn can benefit a landscape by rejuvenating the soil, maintaining healthy ecosystems and reducing the impact of future wildfires.

Pyro Futures is a new exhibit at the Manetti Shrem Museum at UC Davis that explores the ways fire and fire stewardship can change California’s landscapes. The collection was curated by Brett Milligan and Emily Schlickman, professors of landscape architecture and environmental design, who hope to share information they’ve learned about fire to better inform the public about its benefits.

“It’s a more diverse message about fire,” Milligan said. “Fire isn’t bad, there are so many good and beneficial fires, it’s how those fires happen that make a difference.”

Visit the museum website for more details and additional programs.