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UC Davis is promoting its renamed Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio MFA program, describing student funding, private studio space, visiting-artist programs and a thesis exhibition at the campus art museum. The application deadline is January 5, 2027, and a virtual open house is listed for December 4, 2026.
UC Davis is promoting its Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio MFA, a renamed graduate program that the university says offers substantial student funding, private studio space and access to visiting artists. The announcement gives prospective applicants two near-term dates: a virtual open house on December 4, 2026, and an application deadline of January 5, 2027.
The program is supported by a $14 million endowment from Maria Manetti Shrem, according to the announcement. UC Davis says incoming graduate students can receive financial support through paid teaching assistant positions, awards and fellowships. The announcement does not state the amount or distribution of individual awards, or how many students receive each form of support.
Students are offered spacious private studios and opportunities to work with faculty and visiting artists. The program also draws on UC Davis’s status as a research university, with students able to pursue interdisciplinary research and engage with artists and scholars across campus. Its stated curriculum aims to prepare graduates for public-facing work that may include arts education, exhibition and curatorial practice, and community-based projects.
The program describes its course of study as two years, ending with a thesis exhibition at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. It also names partnerships with Headlands Center for the Arts, the Dedalus Foundation, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and Tropical Lab in Singapore. Prospective students are directed to arts.ucdavis.edu for program information and applications.
Funding and Professional Access
The announcement sets out the resources and professional exposure UC Davis is presenting to prospective graduate artists: financial support, individual studio space and contact with established artists and arts professionals. Those features may matter to applicants weighing the cost of graduate study and the opportunities a program offers alongside studio instruction.
The program also connects graduate work to public presentation through its final thesis exhibition at the campus museum. Its stated emphasis on teaching, curating and community-based practice signals that preparation is not limited to making studio work, though the announcement does not provide graduate employment outcomes or other measures of career impact.
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A Renamed Two-Year MFA
The announcement presents the degree under the name Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio MFA and describes it as a recently renamed program. It does not give a date for the renaming or outline changes to the curriculum associated with the new name. The $14 million endowment is attributed to Maria Manetti Shrem, whose name also appears in the title of the university’s art museum.
Students can encounter visiting artists, critics and curators through three programs: The California Studio, the Betty Jean and Wayne Thiebaud Lecture, and the Visiting Artist Lectures Series. The announcement lists recent speakers including Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Cecilia Alemani, Xu Bing, Wangechi Mutu, Latoya Ruby Frazier and Hito Steyerl. The list is presented as examples of past visitors, not as a schedule of future speakers.
Admissions and Funding Details
The announcement does not provide admission requirements, cohort size, tuition, award amounts or funding guarantees. It says the program offers substantial financial support through teaching positions, awards and fellowships, but does not explain eligibility, how funding is allocated, or whether support covers all two years of study.
It also does not specify the format or registration process for the December 4 virtual open house beyond listing its time as 12 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The application deadline is given as January 5, 2027, but the announcement does not state a time zone or whether materials must be received by that date. Applicants should check the university’s program pages for current instructions.
Open House and Application Dates
The next listed event is the virtual MFA open house at noon PST on Friday, December 4, 2026. UC Davis directs prospective applicants to its Arts website for more information. The program announcement says applications are due by January 5, 2027; it does not announce a separate admissions decision date or later application milestones.
Applicants seeking specifics on funding, admissions criteria and event access will need to consult the university’s program materials or ask the department. The announcement does not describe any changes to the program beyond its renaming and the opportunities it says are available.
Key Questions
What is the Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio MFA?
It is a two-year UC Davis graduate program in studio art, described in the announcement as recently renamed. Students complete the course of study with a thesis exhibition at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art.
When is the application deadline?
The announcement lists January 5, 2027 as the application deadline. It does not specify a submission time or time zone, so applicants should check the university’s application instructions.
When is the virtual open house?
The listed open house is Friday, December 4, 2026, at 12 p.m. PST. The announcement does not provide further details about registration or how to join.
What financial support does the program offer?
UC Davis says support includes paid teaching assistant positions, awards and fellowships, and notes a $14 million endowment from Maria Manetti Shrem. The announcement does not specify award amounts, eligibility rules or whether support is guaranteed to every student.
Source: hyperallergic.com
