The student-run art gallery explored ‘the uncanny’ with fall quarter display
By HANNAH OSBORN — arts@theaggie.org
This October, in the basement of the Maria Manetti Shrem Art Hall, students were hard at work preparing their very own art exhibition. On Oct. 24, The Basement Gallery (BG) at UC Davis — a student-run and undergraduate-focused art space on campus — held a reception for their first show of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Open from Oct. 27-29, the show featured more than 20 student artists working in different mediums: print, ceramics, photography and even digital collage. The gallery gave students a space to show their work and experience what it’s like to be involved in the curation process.
The BG selects a theme for each show, which helps guide student artists when making submissions. This fall, the gallery selected the theme ‘ODDITY,’ which aimed to explore “the uncanny, the peculiar, the eccentric and everything that lives in between fascination and fear,” according to the Instagram post announcing their art call.
The directors began planning for the late October show in August, intending for a prompt that would allow them to lean into the fall season.
“When you think of oddities and curiosities, you probably envision vast collections of taxidermy, bugs, bones, etc.,” BG Public Relations and Design Director Cassie Ngo, a fourth-year design major, said. “Of course, these things are odd to the human eye, but the word ‘oddity’ isn’t confined to just these types of grotesque images. ‘Oddity’ is personal and can be self-defined, which is why we thought it was a perfect theme for people to dance around the line between what is ordinary and what is odd.”
The gallery received works exploring oddities in many directions, from thought-provoking twists on grocery store scenes to depictions of creatures who appear in dreams.
“We also saw students use the theme as a vessel to explore subversive themes like orientalism and queer identity,” Ngo said. “The Basement Gallery truly embraces these subversive forms of expression, as we are an alternative space dedicated to giving student artists a platform to speak their truths.”
Morgan Strong, a fourth-year art studio and design major, had work featured in previous BG installments and contributed three works for “ODDITY.” Large paired pieces “Dionynus” and “The Common Cold” are both monotypes on kozo, a textured paper, while “Reclamation” is a ceramic sculpture.
Strong noted the importance of the gallery’s mission in giving students a place to experience working within an exhibition space, discuss displays with gallery preparators and learn what it’s like to have their art on view professionally.
“It’s a big job — it’s out of care and love, and to continue things for the future,” Strong said. “It’s good practice for everyone.”
Abby O’Sullivan, a fourth-year art studio and cinema and digital media double major, is the co-lead director and lead preparator of BG. She discussed how students running BG also gain experience as they turn the space into unique shows each quarter.
“When it comes to deciding the final layout and hanging up the pieces, we think mostly about how the different works will interact with each other, conceptually and aesthetically,” O’Sullivan said. “First we pick out the microthemes present in the art pieces. What do the different submissions have in common? How will the works conceptually benefit from being next to each other? What story can a wall full of art tell?
O’Sullivan noted that BG members also gain experience thinking not only about the thematic value of the works, but also their visual harmony as a whole.
“In terms of aesthetics, we think about spreading out mediums, sizes, and colors of works so that no part of the wall feels unbalanced,” O’Sullivan said. “We consider symmetry and asymmetry and what those can also bring to an entire wall. Honestly, it’s a lot of play with the space and the works within it. It’s a fun process of learning and creating as each submission gives us something new to explore and consider.”
As The Basement Gallery plans more events for the year, the directors aim to bring in more of the UC Davis community to share the space, inviting other student organizations to help bring new shows to life.
“Art is a diverse form, and the gallery isn’t a space that is limited to paintings on walls and sculptures on pedestals,” Ngo said. “We want moving bodies, dancers, music: whatever we can do inside these four walls.”
BG Co-Lead Director Shaelyn Smith, a fifth-year art studio and design major, noted that the directors are in the process of planning future events for the gallery, both for this quarter and the rest of the coming school year.
“Currently, we’re planning on hosting an installation from a studio art class later this quarter, as well as fitting in a social or two before,” Smith said. “For Winter, we’re hoping to reimagine some themes from last year’s collaboration show with the Davis Pole Dance Club, ‘Real Sex,’ particularly focusing on connecting body and movement to art.”
For updates on their activities, follow the Basement Gallery Instagram account, @ucd_basement_gallery.
Written by: Hannah Osborn — arts@theaggie.org
