The door was propped open, and a small ensemble could be faintly heard from the hallway: laughter, conversation, and the sound of music spilling out into the evening. Peeking in, the room was full of life: faculty, students, alumni, and guests gathered together, conversations flowing as old friends reconnected and new ones met for the first time. This was the Arts Research Center’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, a moment to honor not only a milestone year, but a quarter century of thinking through the arts.
Founded in 2000 as an Organized Research Unit, ARC is the only center at UC Berkeley devoted solely to the arts. Over the years, it has hosted 600 artists and scholars, partnered with over 85 organizations, and supported 62 affiliate faculty members in 21 departments, welcoming 187 fellows from numerous departments. On this night, those numbers became more than just statistics, they came to life in the faces and voices filling the room.
The room was full of life as guests arrived: a few students from the Music Department played live music, filling the space with soft, inviting notes, while artist and UC Berkeley alum Jacob Li Rosenberg held a live screenprinting station producing “I Must Art” t-shirts inspired by poet Layli Long Soldier, and a bookmarking station offered stamps and keepsakes to take home. People chatted across tables, shared food, and moved between activities, making connections across generations of ARC faculty, alumni, and students.
As the evening settled into reflection. ARC Director Beth Piatote and other speakers offered remarks, celebrating the center’s 25-year history and the community that has sustained it. Piatote took the stage and shared her words with the crowd, “And I am grateful for the arts, which capture our creativity, sustain our bodies and minds, enliven our souls, and give us modes to object to oppression and lay claim to what matters most.” Her words highlighted the center’s ongoing mission to support artists and scholars, reminding everyone in the room of the vision and dedication that have carried ARC forward.
Many generations of ARC leaders stood together in the room that evening. From co-founder and former Director Shannon Jackson and former Associate Director Lauren Pearson, alongside current Director Beth Piatote and Associate Director Laurie Macfee. Together, they represented a living archive and history of ARC, a testament to the vision, collaboration, and care that have guided the center through twenty-five years and continue to shape its future.
As ARC approaches its 25th anniversary, the milestone will be celebrated with “25 events for 25 years”, a yearlong lineup of performances, conversations, archival explorations, and special limited-edition keepsakes. Featured artists such as Layli Long Soldier, Isabel Allende, Christina Rivera, and Solmaz Sharif will share their work and journeys with us, alongside our iconic Loft Hour series. Join us for our upcoming events!
