Stuart Collection: Art Meets Academia

The Stuart Collection at UC San Diego is not your typical sculpture garden. Founded in 1981, this collection features over 20 site-specific artworks integrated into the university's 1,200-acre campus. Instead of simply displaying sculptures, the Stuart Collection commissions artists to create works that interact with the environment, architecture, and even the purpose of the university itself. As you wander through the campus, you'll encounter a diverse range of installations. A house dangles precariously from the corner of an engineering building in Do Ho Suh's "Fallen Star", while Tim Hawkinson's "Bear," a massive teddy bear constructed from boulders, sits playfully between engineering buildings. Terry Allen's "Trees" emit recordings of poetry and music, creating a modern enchanted forest. Ann Hamilton's newest addition, "KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY", features 1,300 quotes from an estimated 300 sources connected to UC San Diego. The Stuart Collection aims to enrich the cultural and intellectual life of both the university and the wider San Diego community. It encourages people who might not typically seek out art to encounter it in their daily lives. The collection is supported by the UC San Diego Department of Visual Arts, the Stuart Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among other organizations. Exploring the Stuart Collection offers a unique way to experience art and discover the UC San Diego campus.