Did You Know These 7 Things About the Stuart Collection

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• Sara Bock- [email protected]

Topics covered:

• Stuart Collection
• Public Art

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Forget velvet ropes and motion sensors. The Stuart Collectionmakes UC San Diego itself the museum - an open-air gallery of public art where every walk to class can feel like a treasure hunt.

Since its founding in 1981, the collection has transformed the campus with 22 permanent artworks by world-renowned artists: a snake-like path winding up a hillside, a bright blue house perched off a roof, a bear made from boulders that once shut down the freeway. Together, these works turn everyday spaces into landmarks that attract visitors to a university that has become a destination for the arts.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the collection's evolution and what comes next, we turned to Jane Zwerneman, senior art project manager, who has spent 25 years helping bring these works to campus. Here are seven insights she shared that highlight the Stuart Collection's one-of-a-kind character:

1. It started with 'Sun God' and 'Two Running Violet V Forms'

Unveiled in 1983, the Stuart Collection's first two works set the tone for everything that followed. Niki de Saint Phalle's "Sun God" soared above campus life and quickly became an icon, inspiring the long-running student festival that bears its name. Robert Irwin's "Two Running Violet V Forms," by contrast, is tucked into an adjacent eucalyptus grove - two violet chain-link "fences" that shift with the light and nearly vanish into the trees. Together, they show the range of the collection, from bold landmarks to quiet, perceptual experiences.

Not every Stuart Collection piece is as unmistakable as a boulder bear or a rooftop house. Some are meant to blend in, becoming part of the campus itself - both physically and emotionally. "We walk by 'Sun God' or the 'Silent Tree' or 'Standing' every day, and over time they become part of our subconscious experience," said Zwerneman. Others are so subtle they can be easy to miss altogether. Barbara Kruger's "Another," for instance, is set into the walls and terrazzo floors of the Price Center. Thousands of people step across it daily - many not realizing they're moving through a work of art.

4. 'Bear' arrived on space shuttle trucks

Tim Hawkinson's "Bear" looks playful now, but its installation was anything but simple. After ads in tiny Riverside County newspapers yielded boulder offers ("Got big rocks?"), massive stones were chosen from an unused quarry at the Pala Indian Reservation. To get them to La Jolla, crews used flatbed trucks designed to transport the space shuttles - shutting down the freeway at night with a police escort so the rocks could roll into campus.

5. Students turn art into traditions

At UC San Diego, "Sun God" isn't just a sculpture - it's a campus legend. The 14-foot-tall, multicolored bird-like figure, perched on a vine-covered arch, has inspired rituals that carry on to this day. During midterms and finals, students walk or even hop backward through the arch with their eyes closed, hoping for good luck.

Other Stuart Collection pieces have taken on similar cultural weight. Do Ho Suh's "Fallen Star" is one of the most photographed landmarks on campus. These artworks aren't only installations; they've become touchstones of campus life, woven into student culture in ways their artists may never have imagined.

6. It takes a village to keep the art alive

Commissioning new works is just part of the story. The Stuart Collection team plans events, produces publications, recruits and trains volunteer docents, and oversees the conservation of every piece - making sure they remain vibrant parts of campus life for decades.

Zwerneman says that some bring unusual challenges. Works with water elements, like Kiki Smith's "Standing" and Michael Asher's "Untitled" (drinking fountain), have needed extra care. At one point, roots from nearby trees completely clogged the pipes for "Untitled" until a Roto-Rooter crew cleared them out. John Luther Adams' "The Wind Garden" is monitored remotely by UC San Diego alumnus Jason Ponce, who checks in daily to flag issues before they grow.

7. A new piece is coming to Triton Center

The next chapter of the Stuart Collection arrives in 2026 with "La Asamblea del Barro," a monumental work by Mexico City-based collective RojoNegro (artists Noé Martinez and María Sosa). The installation will feature 260 ceramic figures - each nearly two feet tall - arrayed on a towering steel frame that evokes a dense jungle. Once it's installed in the new Triton Center, the piece will greet thousands of students and visitors every day.

RojoNegro's practice centers on the lived experience of Indigenous communities and artistic interpretations of communal histories, where shared experiences of resistance and the celebration of heritage are crucial elements. With exhibitions spanning from Venice to São Paulo to Madrid, the duo will now bring their global perspective to UC San Diego.