Art Program and Exhibitions | The Dudley H. Davis Center | The University of Vermont(title)

With two galleries and countless spaces to hang art throughout the building, the Davis Center offers numerous exhibition spaces for UVM students, staff, faculty and local community members to showcase their art.

Our galleries

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In addition to the countless spaces in meeting rooms, hallways, and eateries throughout the building in which we display art, the Davis Center has two main galleries for robust exhibits:

Scarlett Oak Lounge — A smaller exhibition space, located on the third floor in the space adjacent to the stairwell leading to the fourth floor.

Fireplace Lounge — Our main gallery space, located at the entry way of the fourth floor.

Permanent installations

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Self Portrait at the University of Black Vermont

1987 • David Bethuel Jamieson

David Bethuel Jamieson, a black American painter and printmaker, was born in 1963 in Washington D.C. In 1983, Jamieson received his G.E.D. and enrolled at the University of Vermont, majoring in American History and taking courses in the art department while he pursed his art independently in a studio in Burlington.

Jamieson's last series of work chronicles the 1991 student takeover of the UVM President's offices and Waterman Building in protest of institutional racism and lack of diversity on campus. His Self Portrait at the University of BLACK Vermont uses a dark palette, harshe brush strokes, and rigid blocks to convey the anger and frustration he and his peers were experiencing at the time.

David Jamieson's paintings are compositionally, texturally, and emotionally complex. Incorporating a variety of artistic traditions and techniques, the work is driven by emotion - revealing, in turn, pain, playfulness, anger, sadness, and hope.

Jamieson died in 1992 from AIDS-related complications. His self-portrait is a testament to the importance of creative expression, hope, and beauty despite the struggles that exist within.

In addition to the Dudley H. Davis Center, David's work is held in many private and public collections, including The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Carter G. Woodson Institute for African and African American Studies at the University of Virginia, The Robert Hull Fleming Museum, and The Provincetown Art Association and Museum.

Related links

 

Flukes

Gordon Gund P • ’91 • ’93

Gordon Gund’s interest in sculpture traces to his childhood, attending Saturday morning art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. He would study water color in college, become an avid photographer during four years in the U.S. Navy, and eventually find his way to sculpture when a friend introduced him to wood carving some thirty years ago. Gund increasingly turned his attention to art after retiring from a successful career in business and his family’s continuing philanthropic work, including support of UVM’s Gund Institute for Environment.

The sculptor, who is blind after losing his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in 1971, says, “While with my eyes I can’t see the shapes I create, I feel them over and over again with my hands and my mind, and the result is in my mind forever... It takes me more time and patience than most with sight and letting go is generally felt with more uncertainty. So, it is extremely satisfying to finish something that I have doubted along the way, woken up with in the middle of the night, spent a lot of time on and given a lot of love.”

The “Flukes” bronze at UVM is rooted in Gordon Gund’s experience helping to free pilot whales beached on Nantucket several years ago.

 

Areté Blu

Richard Erdman • ’75 H’16

Sculptor Richard Erdman has a long relationship with UVM, dating back to his undergraduate days when he worked with two legendary mentors—artist Paul Aschenbach, who helped him find his calling, and varsity ski coach Chip Lacasse, who helped develop him into a two-time All-American in alpine.

Post-graduation, apprenticeship with stone carvers in Carrara, Italy, would also be key to Erdman’s development as an artist. Today, his work is on display in museums, and corporate and private collections worldwide. His monumental sculpture “Passage” sits at the entrance to the Donald M. Kendall sculpture gardens at PepsiCo in Purchase, New York. Carved from a 450-ton block of travertine, the 25- by 16-foot “Passage” is the largest sculpture in the world carved from a single block of travertine.

Erdman says the gift of “Areté Blu” completes a full circle with his UVM experience, a symbol of what the university gave him as a student—“where individualism and risk-taking were encouraged, where education was not just an assimilation of facts, but the training of the mind to think and dream.” Describing the particular work, the sculptor says, “Its emotive and energetic stance beckons visitors to live
actively, live dangerously, live passionately—and in its contiguous form, live in continuity.” 

“Areté Blu” joins Erdman’s “Primavera,” a gift of the Class of 2010, situated outside Jeffords Hall. Erdman also recently gave the university two more pieces, “Confluence” and “Belladona,” that will go on display at a later date.

A long wall showcasing submitted artworks in the MASKED Exhibition at UVM

Submit your art

Have a couple works of art that you'd like to display in the building? We're always looking for more student, alumni, staff, and/or faculty work to help keep the Davis Center vibrant and exciting!

Submit your art

Past Exhibits

CYCLES (2024 exhibition): Inclusive Arts Vermont
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The 5th exhibition features the art of 25 Vermont artists with disabilities. The theme emerged from community input. The artwork expresses cycles of nature. Cycles of the body, mind, and spirit. Experiences of repetition, circular shapes, and more. The exhibition will tour the state between February 2024 and December 2024, kicking off at the University of Vermont’s Davis Center. Cycles will then travel to Montpelier, Brattleboro, St. Johnsbury, and return to Burlington. 

Opening Reception: Wednesday, February 21 from 4-7 PM 
UVM Davis Center 4th Floor  | 590 Main St. Burlington, VT

On view at the UVM Davis Center from Feb. 15 – March 31.
CYCLES is presented in partnership with UVM Davis Center, UVM School of the Arts and the UVM CDCI.

Inclusive Arts Vermont

 

MASKED (2023 exhibition): Inclusive Arts Vermont
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MASKED features visual artwork by 22 Vermont artists with disabilities. Each piece offers the artist’s creative expression of the title – which arose in the early moments of the global pandemic. The work included is as complex and layered as the meaning of the word “masked” itself. The artists explore protection, disguise, veiling, all that is enshrouded, and what lies beneath.

Learn more about MASKED (and access audio descriptions of the gallery) from Inclusive Arts Vermont!

We're thrilled to be hosting MASKED for the next few months here on the fourth floor of the Davis Center. To learn more about the exhibit and accessibility options available, please give us a call at 802-656-2060. 

MASKED is made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Vermont Arts Council, the Fountain Fund, and a group of generous individuals.

For more information: 
Email exhibitions@inclusiveartsvermont.org or call 802-238-5170.

Upcycled (2019)
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Date: April 25th 2019
Time: 8-9pm

In collaboration with UVM Eco-Reps, the Davis Center Art team held an art exhibit in the Fireplace Lounge during Earth Week! An opening reception took place in the Fireplace Lounge on Thursday, April 25th from 8-9pm.

Artwork mwas made by using found materials and "upcycling" them. The theme of Earth Week was “Points of Intervention” so the submissions must also relate to one of the points in the linear consumption economy that we have the power interrupt and change the course of! Those five areas are: 1. Extraction 2. Production 3. Distribution 4. Consumption 5. Disposal.

Perspectives on art making: Collage Project
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Students in Meg McDevitt's Perspectives on Art Making class were asked to look at the compositional structures that visual artists use in their work. The students then made interpretations of established artworks using brush and Sumi ink on different types of papers. These interpretations were then used as the materials to create a large scale, non-objective collage.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge, Davis Center 4th Floor
When: The duration of the show will last for the month of February

Encore
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Seth Ginsberg, a UVM alumnus and prolific artist working with digital image-making, returns again to the Davis Center in this display of his glitch-card experimentation. This captivating show will be up for the month of February in the Scarlet Oak Lounge.

Where: Scarlet Oak Lounge, Davis Center 3rd Floor
When: The duration of the show will last for the month of February

Artist Showcase: Even Burghard
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Where: Scarlet Oak Lounge, Davis Center 3rd Floor
When: Thursday March 23rd to Saturday April 15th
Opening Reception: Thursday March 23rd, 4:30-5:30PM in the Scarlet Oak Lounge, 3rd Floor Davis Center

'What does freedom look like?': Black History Month exhibition
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A collaboration with the Black Student Union during Black History Month, this is a show of submissions from the students of UVM who were asked the question: 'What does Freedom look like?" Please come view this special exhibition of submissions that will explore a wide range of perspectives pertaining to the concept of freedom and what it means to some, especially in the context of today.

Where: Scarlet Oak Lounge, Davis Center 3rd Floor
When: Saturday February 4th to Sunday February 26th

Collage Art Show
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Come visit the fourth floor Livak Fireplace Lounge to view submissions of collages from individuals at UVM!

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge, Davis Center 4th floor
When: December 9th to January 31st

Artist Showcase: Lynne Bond
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Showcasing the exquisite mono prints of Lynne Bond, a must see if you are in the Davis Center at all this month! Lynne's work features organic textures and forms that interact with one another to create visually intriguing and cerebral images that seem to float and find one another on the page.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge, Davis Center 4th floor
When: Sunday October 30th to Tuesday December 6th
Opening Reception: 12pm-1pm, Tuesday September 13th

Artist Showcase: Seth Ginsburg
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A UVM Alum, Seth's works are digital prints of photomontage and digital collage. His process is one of that involves working and reworking, often leaving works behind to return to them later. Depicting snippets of scenes around Brooklyn, NY, where he currently resides, Seth's prints feature static and collision of images, text, patterns that suggest a kind of youthful tenderness beneath the many visible pixels.

Where: Scarlet Oak Lounge, Davis Center 3rd Floor
When: Sunday October 30th to January 15th
Opening Reception: 12pm-1pm, Tuesday September 13th

Communication of Color
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This screen print exhibit showcases the work of Jane Kent's ARTS 132 Printmaking: Silkscreen class at UVM — with a focus on color interaction, this show is an opulent display of the class's culmination of work within a single semester.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge, Davis Center 4th floor
When: Monday March 2nd - Monday March 28th
Opening Reception: 5:00-7:00pm, Monday March 14th

Artist Showcase: Kailey Rinder
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The Senior Art Show is an exhibit that provides an opportunity for seniors to showcase their work produced during their undergraduate studies at UVM and is a chance for seniors to gain exposure and recognition in the Davis Center on UVM's campus.

Deadline for Submissions: Saturday April 30th
Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge, Davis Center 4th floor
When: Wednesday April 27th - May 24th
Opening Reception: 5:00 - 7:00pm, Friday May 6th

Visualizations in the Sciences
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Humans have always used images as a vehicle for understanding the world around them. Although visual representation is often associated with artistic endeavors, images have proven to be one of the most powerful mediums through which to express new, scientific ideas. This power lies in an image?s unique ability to convey information universally by relying on a sensory experience that is a central part of our everyday lives. Not only do these visuals challenge how we view our world, they also challenge the strict boundaries that we have created between the disciplines of art and science. This exhibit aims to dissolve these boundaries by allowing the viewer to see the creativity necessary for the production of such visual imagery, and the simplicity and beauty that is often achieved as a result, with striking examples of visualizations of scientific information in a variety of formats created by both faculty and students at the University of Vermont.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge, Davis Center 4th floor
When: November 10 - December 17th
Opening Reception: Tuesday, November 10th 5:30 to 7:30pm

Who are we? Children represent their shared identities
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This show features a first time collaboration with the UVM Campus Children's Center and celebrates the artistic expression of young children ranging from infants to older preschoolers. The result: fun, bright colors, imaginative shapes, and untamed creativity.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When: January 26th-February 25th
Opening Reception: Wednesday, January 28th, 4:30-6PM

Opulent Color
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Vibrant prints from Jane Kent's ARTS 132 Printmaking: Silkscreen class at UVM

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When: December 2nd-January 22nd
Opening Reception: December 2nd, 4:30 PM

Artist Showcase: Cydney Williams
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Featuring colorful acrylic and oil pastel pieces by UVM junior Art Education major Cydney Williams.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When:Tuesday, November 3rd through Friday, November 21st

Jen Lavoie: Rug Hooking
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Intricate, exquisite and complex rug hookings with hand-dyed color applied to stunning compositions ranging from landscapes to narrative portraitures.

Where: Scarlet Oak Lounge and 4th floor Conference Rooms
When: March 11- TBD

Close at Hand
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The Davis Center Student Art Curators are putting together the first annual senior exhibit in the Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery (4th floor of the Davis Center). The exhibit will feature work from 15 to 20 other senior art students. The exhibit will be on display from May 7th through May 14th with an opening reception on Friday, May 9 from 5-6:30pm. Close at Hand is an exhibit that provides another opportunity for seniors to showcase and highlight their hard work throughout their undergraduate studies at UVM and is the chance to be recognized in another campus space and gallery outside of Williams Halls.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
Deadline for Submissions: Wednesday, April 23rd, email dcart@uvm.edu
When:Wednesday, May 7th- Thursday,May 15th

Focus by Jean Luc Dushime
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What if people had Instagram and smart phones during the events that unfolded in the 90s in Rwanda? Jean Luc Dushime asked himself this question while traveling through his home country, 20 years later. He left at 13 and returned as a photographer and storyteller, using Instagram to document his travels and create an intersection between social media, advocacy and genocide.

Jean Luc Dushime was born in Rwanda, grew up between the D.R.Congo and the Republic of Congo, and now resides in Burlington, Vermont. His past as a survivor of multiple wars and massacres inspires him to explore human behavior and issues of identity, acculturation, and integration through visual arts.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When: April 13th-tbd
Opening Reception: Tuesday, April 15th 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Artist Website: JLD Photography | Instagram

Repairing Consumerism
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Environmental Studies Senior Thesis show by Mackenzie Jones takes a look at the repair industry and consumer habits.

Where: Mt. Mansfield Room (Fishbowl)
When:April 3rd- April 20th

Come to Life: Student Sculpture Show
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This show features works by students in Shelley Warren's 141 Sculpture Class in the Department of Art and Art History. Each student has three pieces, both taking inspiration from everyday life and imbuing personal ideas and expression.

Where:Scarlet Oak Lounge (2nd floor) and Jameson Landing (3rd floor)
When:Wednesday, April 16th- Wednesday April 30
Opening Reception:Friday, April 18th 5:00pm-6:00pm

On Being Earthlings: a multi-media exhibit
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Environmental Studies Senior Thesis show by Blair Borax is a collection of narratives on Human-Earth connection in Israel-Palestine. Each portrait is paired with a short narrative that you can hear by dialing a phone number on your cell!

Where: 4th floor Balcony, Davis Center
When: April 3rd- April 11th
Opening Reception: Friday, April 11 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Artists Website: The Blair Family Fan Club

Erase head: Nyiko Beguin
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Nyiko Beguin explores the themes of obsolescence and permanence through the reconstructing of media formats that have slowly worked themselves out of the mainstream. Nyiko Beguin (“nee-koh” “bay-gan”), better known by his middle name NYIKO, is an American recording artist, producer, and visual artist. He currently lives in Burlington, VT.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When:March 11- April 9th
Artist Website: Nyiko

Equanimities Art Show: Pete Broadman, Class of 2015 Art Education Graduate Program
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A series of paintings inspired by Vermont's natural scenery

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When: February 11-March 9

Moonlight on Obsidian: Art by Alex Weiss
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Showcase of paper cut-outs and illustrations by UVM junior Alex Weiss

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When: November 13th- December 13th 2013

"Created by eARThlings, inspired by EARTH"
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‘Created by eARThlings, Inspired by EARTH,' celebrates the planet we live on! Environmental art is a global movement that seeks to use art to heal our ecosystems and communities. It comes in many forms, but always holds the intention of raising awareness about environmental issues and/or appreciate and love for our environment.

This collection of environmental art featuring diverse works by professional, UVM student, and faculty artists, intends to engage and educate the community to welcome the movement towards a sustainable future on our beautiful Earth.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge and Gallery, Davis Center 4th floor
When: Tuesday, April 16- Friday, May 10
Opening Reception: Monday, April 22 5:30 - 7pm

Alive: A Community Art Project
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What makes you feel alive? Tell us through your art. Join the Davis Center curators in this community art project. Get creative!

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: Tuesday March 19th- Thursday April 12th
Opening Reception: Wednesday March 20th 5pm-7pm
Gallery Photos: ALIVE: A Community Art Project

Artist Showcase: Jackson Tupper
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Jackson Tupper, UVM senior Studio Art major will be showcasing his paintings and illustrations. Art writer Hannah Jansen of Bomb Magazine, Brooklyn described, "His work as technically beautiful and strangely mythical; there lies a strong sense of storytelling behind each piece — think your favorite fairy-tale gone wrong." This is not an exhibit to miss and to check out more of his work visit his website.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: January 23- February 23
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 24, 5-7pm

Water Colors Goe Wild
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Vermont Watercolor Society's northwest "hub" is holding a show "Watercolor Gone Wild" at UVM's Davis Center from December 10 - Jan. 20. Artists are encouraged to produce works of art that represent various painting styles, mixed media, unusual surfaces and non-traditional painting methods.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: December 10- January 20
Opening Reception: Wednesday, December 12, 5-7pm

Shared Secrets -- A Collaborative Art Exhibit
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In honor of A Night With Frank Warren, presented by UPB and Active Minds there has been an ongoing community art project, collecting community members secrets that willbe displayed around the second floor of the Davis Center.

Where: Mount Mansfield Room, Marketplace and around the 2nd floor of the DC
When: Monday November 5th- Sunday December 6th (day of de-instalation)
Opening Reception: Monday November 5th from 7:30-8:30 PM

The Illustrations of Matthew Douglas
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The fun and quirky works of Burlington artist Matthew Douglas

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: November 2-December 4
Opening Reception: November 29 7:30-9:00pm

Oodles of Doodles
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A Week of Welcome exhibit showcasing the everyday doodles created by the students of the University of Vermont.

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: August 20-September 1
Opening Reception: Monday, August 27, 7:00 PM -8:00 PM

The Oil Paintings of Chepe Cuadra
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Larger-than-life oil paintings by our very own Marche chef, Chepe Cuadra exploring identity and questions of the self through portraiture

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: March 12th - March 25th
Opening Reception: March 16th, 6pm to 8pm

Trancendence: Mooring the Storm
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An art exhibit in collaboration with Frog Hollow and the Women's Rape Crisis Center"
Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: April 3rd - May 10th
Opening Reception: April 5th, 5pm to 7pm

The Nature Conservancy's "Portraits of Conservation" by Chepe Cuadra
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Larger-than-life oil paintings by our very own Marche chef, Chepe Cuadra exploring identity and questions of the self through portraiture

Where: Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery
When: April 3rd - May 10th
Opening Reception: April 5th, 5pm to 7pm