Campus Arts & Resources


UC Berkeley offers students access to world-class art exhibits, theater and dance performances, concerts, film screenings, poetry readings, and much more including these arts organizations across campus:


Berkeley Art Museum (BAM): Let’s begin at the southeast corner of the campus. Housed in a distinctive Modernist building just across Bancroft Avenue from the main campus, BAM is one of the largest university art museums in the country, with a collection that ranges from ancient Chinese paintings to internet-based interactive art. In addition to exhibits, the museum hosts many special events, including talks by artists and curators. Admission to the museum is always free to Berkeley students.

 

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Pacific Film Archive (PFA): Just down Bancroft Avenue in the sleek-looking “temporary” Hearst Field Annex, the Pacific Film Archive is one of the most respected film centers in the country. Screenings range from early cinema rarities and international classics to contemporary experimental works, often accompanied by in-person appearances by filmmakers or film scholars. Berkeley students can access the PFA library and study center, and receive discounted admission to all PFA screenings.


Cal Performances: As you continue down Bancroft and enter lower Sproul Plaza, you’ll find Zellerbach Auditorium, home to Cal Performances, one of the best performing arts centers in the world. Here you can see distinguished dance companies, musicians, and speakers from around the world. Berkeley students receive a 50% discount on admission and are eligible for additional rush discounts.


Department of Theater, Dance & Performance Studies (TDPS): Just around the corner from Zellerbach Auditorium is Zellerbach Playhouse, one of several venues where the Department of Theater, Dance & Performance Studies presents student theater, dance, and performance art throughout the year. Berkeley students receive discounted admission to all TDPS productions. TDPS also presents many free lectures and workshops. Auditions and courses are open to all Berkeley students.


Student Musical Activities (SMA):  If you hear music floating out the windows of the César Chavez Student Center, you know you have found the headquarters of Student Musical Activities. Do you play an instrument or sing? Interested in performing with other students while at UC Berkeley? Through SMA you can find out more about the UC Choral Ensembles, UC Jazz Ensembles, and the Cal Marching Band.


Berkeley Art Studio: Located in the César Chavez Student Center, the Berkeley Art Studio offers classes in ceramics, painting, drawing,and photography. The Studio has a rich history of providing not-for-credit, quality art instruction for students at a discount. It is a welcoming place for students and artists at various skill levels.


Lunch Poems: As you head up into the center of campus, you’ll find the majestic Doe Library. Here, under the direction of English professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass, a free noontime poetry reading is presented on the first Thursday of each month in the stunning Morrison Reading Room. These events are often standing room only, so arrive early to get a seat.


Across the way in Wheeler Hall, the free Holloway Poetry Series, held by the Department of English in the elegant Maude Fife Reading Room, is another venue where you can hear poets read and discuss their work.


Story Hour in the Library: At the Morrison Library, a free reading of prose takes place on the second Thursday of every month during fall and spring semesters from 6 to 7 pm. Hosted by English department faculty Vikram Chandra and Melanie Abrams, this series features distinguished prose writers from the Bay Area and beyond.


Department of Music: At the top of Faculty Glade, you’ll reach Morrision and Hertz Halls, where dozens of concerts are hosted by the Department of Music every year, including the extremely popular free Wednesday Noon Concerts. Performance groups include the University Symphony, Wind Ensemble, University Chorus, Chamber Chorus, Collegium Musicum, Gospel Chorus, Contemporary Music Chamber Ensemble, African Music Ensemble, and Central Javanese Gamelan. Participation is not limited to music majors; auditions are open to all students.wymore_dance


College of Environmental Design(CED): Next door to the Department of Music is the controversial Wurster Hall (is it ugly or cutting-edge?), home to the College of Environmental Design. CED hosts rotating exhibits of work by students, faculty, and visitors, as well as lectures series that bring internationally renowned figures in art, architecture, design, and planning to campus. Admission to exhibits and events is free.


Department of Art Practice: As you continue past Wurster, our tour has come full circle.  At the edge of campus, just across the street from the Berkeley Art Museum, is Kroeber Hall, home to the Department of Art Practice and its Worth Ryder Gallery, where you will find rotating exhibits of work by students, faculty, and visiting artists. Opening receptions are free and open to the public, as is the “Interventions” series of evening lectures by visiting artists.


Kroeber Hall is also home to the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, where you can view art and artifacts from around the world. Museum admission is free.