UC San Diego Campus Art Walk (Free Tour)

Bear — Tim Hawkinson

This towering bronze bear by Tim Hawkinson looms playfully over the landscape, blending humor with a hint of surreal unease. Its scale and placement invite questions about nature, power, and perspective.

Fallen Star — Do Ho Suh

Do Ho Suh’s gravity-defying house appears to have landed at an impossible angle atop an engineering building. It’s a striking meditation on displacement, home, and belonging.

Geisel Library

An architectural icon of UCSD, this futuristic structure by William Pereira feels like a sculpture in its own right. Its bold silhouette reflects the university’s commitment to innovation and imagination.

Green Table — Robert Irwin

This understated yet thoughtful work by Robert Irwin encourages close attention to color, light, and perception. It quietly reshapes how you experience the surrounding space.

KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY — Ann Hamilton

A contemporary installation that blends language, form, and cultural memory into a layered visual narrative. It reflects UCSD’s ongoing investment in new voices and evolving artistic conversations.

La Jolla Project / Stonehenge — Nancy Holt

Nancy Holt’s concrete cylinders frame views of sky and landscape, echoing ancient monuments while grounding the work firmly in Southern California. The piece invites slow looking and awareness of time and place.

La Jolla Vista View — William Wegman

This work highlights UCSD’s dramatic coastal setting, drawing attention to horizon lines and expansive views. It reminds visitors how art and environment work together.

Mandell Weiss Forum Theater

A major performing arts venue that anchors the campus’s creative life. Its presence underscores the connection between visual art, performance, and experimentation.

La Jolla Playhouse

Internationally renowned for developing bold new theater, this venue adds a dynamic cultural layer to the campus. Many productions here go on to Broadway and beyond.

Price Center

The social heart of UCSD is surrounded by artworks that blend seamlessly into daily student life. It’s a place where art meets conversation, movement, and community.

Triton Fountain

A classic campus landmark that doubles as a gathering place. Its flowing water adds sound and motion to the surrounding open space.

Snake Path — Alexis Smith

Alexis Smith’s winding pathway coils around a massive book-shaped stone engraved with a John Milton quote. It playfully merges literature, movement, and symbolism.

Standing — Kiki Smith

This contemplative sculpture emphasizes verticality and stillness amid the campus bustle. Its simplicity encourages quiet reflection.

Sun God — Niki de Saint Phalle

Perhaps UCSD’s most famous artwork, this vibrant, winged figure by Niki de Saint Phalle radiates energy and color. It has become an unofficial symbol of the university.

Terrace — Jackie Ferrara

A work that blends architecture and art, shaping how visitors move through and pause within the space. It rewards those who notice subtle shifts in form and elevation.

Trees — Terry Allen

This piece draws attention to the natural landscape as an artistic element itself. It blurs the line between sculpture and environment.

Two Running Violet V Forms — Ellsworth Kelly

A bold abstract sculpture by Ellsworth Kelly that plays with color, balance, and negative space. Its clean lines contrast beautifully with the surrounding greenery.

Vices & Virtues — Bruce Nauman

This installation explores moral themes through symbolic imagery and text. It invites viewers to reflect on human nature in a modern context.

What Hath God Wrought — Mark Bradford

A contemporary work that engages with technology, communication, and historical change. Its title hints at big questions without offering easy answers.

Mandeville Art Gallery

UCSD’s primary gallery space for rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. It provides context for the campus collection and showcases emerging and established artists alike.