Stuart Collection at UC San Diego

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Stuart Collection at UC San Diego

The Stuart Collection aims to question conventional understandings of public art in insightful ways.

The Stuart Collection seeks to enrich the cultural, intellectual, and scholarly life of the UC San Diego campus and of the San Diego community by building and maintaining a unique collection of site-specific works by leading artists of our time. It has been inventive in both its curatorial point of view and its working processes. The collection results from an innovative partnership between the un

iversity and the Stuart Collection. Under an agreement forged in 1982 (and renewed in 2003), the entire campus may be considered as sites for commissioned sculpture. It is further distinguished from a traditional sculpture garden by integration of some of the projects with university buildings. "As UCSD increases in size and stature, so the Stuart Collection continues to add provocative new works to the landscape, reflecting the quality, ideals, and spirit of the university."

04/29/2026

Help make memories for future Tritons on Triton Giving Day and every day - link in bio

04/22/2026

Join Facilities Management at Stuart Collection’s La Jolla Project (Revelle Field) for a hands‑on tree planting demonstration and the opportunity to help plant new trees in celebration of Arbor Day on Friday, April 24, 12-2 pm.

Landscape Services Urban Forester, arborists and staff will be on site to facilitate the plantings and answer questions. RSVP at link in bio.

The demonstration planting and tree talk will begin at noon at the La Jolla Project Lawn (Stonehenge). All planting equipment and gloves will be provided - please wear closed‑toed shoes.

Since 2018, Landscape Services has planted more than 200 trees to celebrate the day. Past planting sites include, Galbraith Hall and the La Jolla Project in Revelle, the School of Medicine, the Natatorium, Career Services, and Warren Mall.

02/13/2026

Sending you love, hugs and hisses from the Stuart Collection 💗

📸 Erik Jepsen and Philipp Scholz Rittermann

12/23/2025

Happy Holidays from the Stuart Collection!

Wishing everyone a peaceful break and an art-filled New Year! 🎨

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12/22/2025

What a year at the Stuart Collection!

✨ From receiving transformative support for our Emerging Artists program, launching our Inscape Audio Tour and first-ever Summer with Stuart concert series, to celebrating Bear’s 20th birthday with students, 2025 was filled with unforgettable moments.

Our executive director Jess Berlanga Taylor was selected by Mexico to curate their pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, we welcomed new partnerships, and watched Fallen Star continue to capture hearts across the internet.

Our community grew stronger through 100+ special tours, meaningful ongoing work with incredible artists, and travels with our Director’s Circle to the Hudson Valley, Frieze LA and Desert X.

Thank you to everyone who made this year extraordinary—here’s to even more art, connection, and inspiration in 2026! 🌟

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11/14/2025

We’re so grateful to and for welcoming and hosting such a meaningful reception and cultural hub right here in San Diego.

We celebrated our new arts in residence collaboration that will welcome visiting Stuart Collection artists to Granger Hotel during their research and development phases—giving them a supportive home base while they create works that will live on the UC San Diego campus.

We are thrilled to be part of this exciting initiative that connects artists with the community!

📷 Photography by Stacy Keck

11/08/2025

Bear’s 20th Birthday was un-BEAR-ably amazing! 🐻🎉

Thank you to the hundreds of students, staff, and alumni who came out to celebrate our beloved 180-ton teddy! Bear looked absolutely dapper in his giant birthday hat, balloons, and belly banner.

🎁 You brought incredible donations for the Triton Food Pantry—Bear’s birthday wish came true!

🎨 You made custom buttons to commemorate the day

📚 You learned about Bear and the Stuart Collection from our wonderful docents

🎂 And most importantly, you showed just how much this boulder bear means to our UC San Diego community

Bear has been bringing joy to campus since 2005, and thanks to all of you, his 20th birthday was one for the books. Here’s to many more years of this campus icon! 💙

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11/06/2025

20 years of Bear-y special memories! 🐻💙

From first trips to new looks, tattoo experiments to finding love, Bear has been living his best life on campus since 2005. This 180-ton teddy has seen it all—Hawaiian adventures, swimming lessons, game days, Halloween costumes, and countless friendships with Tritons.

Join us in celebrating Bear’s 20th birthday on Thursday, November 7th from 3-5 PM! 🎉

🎁 Bear’s birthday wish: Bring donations of non-perishable food items for the Triton Food Pantry. Let’s honor our favorite campus landmark by supporting our fellow Tritons!

Here’s to 20 years of this boulder bear bringing joy to our campus. Happy birthday, Bear! 🎂✨

11/05/2025

Happy 20th Birthday to our beloved Bear! 🎂

Twenty years ago, what began as sketches and dreams became 6,000 pounds of pure whimsy. Swipe through Bear’s “baby album” to see the incredible journey—from Tim Hawkinson’s initial drawings where imagination met impossibility, to the meticulous engineering models that figured out how to make a teddy bear out of boulders (yes, really), to the hunt for just the right rocks with just the right curves.

Every stone was hand-selected, every angle calculated, every joint engineered to transform geology into something huggable. It took structural engineers, heavy machinery, a middle of the night freeway adventure and a healthy dose of “let’s see if this works” to bring this gentle giant to life—proving that sometimes the most playful ideas require the most serious problem-solving.

Two decades later, Bear still makes people smile, still makes them wonder “how did they DO that?” and still reminds us that art can be both monumentally complex and pure joy.

Join us on Friday, Nov 7 from3-5 at Bear to celebrate 20 years of defying gravity, expectations, and the very concept of “soft and cuddly.” 🐻🪨

11/03/2025

🎉 Join us for Bear’s 20th Birthday Bash! 🎂

Our beloved 180-ton boulder teddy bear is turning 20, and we’re throwing a party! Help us celebrate this iconic UC San Diego landmark on Thursday, November 7th from 3-5 PM.

🎁 Bear has a birthday wish: Please bring “gifts” of non-perishable food items to donate to the Triton Food Pantry. Let’s help our fellow Tritons while celebrating this campus treasure!

See you there! 🐻✨

Address

9500 Gilman Drive
San Diego, CA
92093

Telephone

+18585342117

Website

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/

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