NEW EXHIBITIONS

First Ladies and Fashion: Style Icons on a Political Runway — Winter and spring quarters, first floor, Shields Library. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, noon-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-midnight Sunday.

21st-Century Life Sciences-Biotechnology — Winter quarter, first floor, Shields Library. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, noon-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-midnight Sunday.

RECEPTION THIS WEEKEND

From Our Land — About the Nikkei (Japanese emigrants) and their role in California agriculture as well as their response to the changing political climate from the turn of the 20th century to the present day. Through March 7, Design Museum. Reception, 1 p.m. Jan. 24, Walker Hall. The museum is on the first floor of Walker Hall. Regular hours: noon-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

How to Make a (Political) Play: Behind the Scenes with the San Francisco Mime Troupe — Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, a political theater group. Through winter quarter, first floor, Shields Library. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, noon-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-midnight Sunday.

In and of Itself — By three artists who use different media to interpret the life of birds. Dede deGraffenried, bronze sculpture and glass fusing instructor at the Craft Center, creates meticulously crafted glass and bronze eggs, and combines them with found nests to offer inspired vignettes of bird life; Sumner W. Fowler photographs everything from hummingbirds tinier than a thumb to raptors with 6-foot wingspans; and Elaine Sichel combines wooden cigar boxes with ephemera and natural materials to tell ornithological stories. Through Feb. 5, Craft Center Gallery, South Silo.

Prison Works — From the art workshop at the California Medical Facility, Vacaville. Through March 21, Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, Old Davis Road at Mrak Hall Drive. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Recently Conserved Works — A showing of three rehabilitated works (by Roy De Forest, Wayne Thiebaud and Edward Weston) to add to visitors’ understanding of the “behind-the-scenes” work of a museum. Through March 14, Nelson Entryway Gallery. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, by appointment on Fridays; and 2-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Selected Recent Acquisitions: 2007-09 — Insight into the acquisition process — with this exhibition of some 40 works donated over the past three years. Included are works by UC Davis art professor Wayne Thiebaud, drawings by the late Robert Arneson, also a UC Davis professor; prints by Professor Malaquias Montoya given on the occasion of his retirement; and a drawing by William T. Wiley, another UC Davis professor. Through March 7, Nelson Gallery. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, by appointment on Fridays; and 2-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

OFF CAMPUS

A Seed Planted: A Tribute to Robert Arneson — Featuring works by the late UC Davis art professor and his students. Through Feb. 5, Tsao Gallery at the Davis Art Center, 1919 F St. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and, during the run of the Arneson exhibition, 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. Free admission.

Wayne Thiebaud Collection — California State University, Sacramento, is showing all 150 works in its Wayne Thiebaud collection. The collection comprises works from 1948 to 2004, when two anonymous donors gave the collection to the university. Thiebaud is a UC Davis art professor and a graduate of Sacramento State. Through Jan. 23, Library Gallery (hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday). Free admission.