ON CAMPUS
THE STUART COLLECTION
LEADING A LEGACY
Stuart Collection welcomes new director .
BY ERIKA JOHNSON ’ 11
From the second floor of her childhood home , located an hour away from bustling Mexico City , 8-year-old Jessica Berlanga Taylor could hear the animated conversations happening below ; painters , sculptors and dancers would stream through her father ’ s photography studio .
Though she was more likely to be found curled up with a book than splashing color on canvas , the stimulating intellectual and creative environment Berlanga Taylor was immersed in as a child helped shape her into the curator she is today . A bicultural and bilingual art professional , she has commissioned more than 40 works of art , 11 of which were created for public spaces in Mexico City . After 15 years of sparking commissions and creating exhibits , many of them through a social justice lens , Berlanga Taylor was named the newest director of the Stuart Collection in April .
And she has inherited quite a legacy . Over the past 40 years , founding director Mary Beebe and project manager Mathieu Gregoire have brought to life more than 20 artworks that many considered to be impossible to realize . Meandering the 1,200-acre UC San Diego campus , you may stumble upon a house precariously perched on the edge of a building , a grove of trees that transform into a leafed choir as the wind blows , or a welcoming teddy bear made of gigantic granite boulders .
Though both Beebe and Gregoire
Artistic Vision : Stuart Collection Director Jessica Berlanga Taylor ( pictured ) plans to create connections through art and share themes of social justice and diverse perspectives from international artists . retired from their roles last year , their tenacity and penchant for bold expression will persevere in Berlanga Taylor , along with her colleague and assistant director Jane Zwerneman , who has been part of the program since 2001 .
“ It is unusual to have an open-air museum within a university campus ,” explains Berlanga Taylor . “ I am grateful for the opportunity to care for the legacy of the Stuart Collection , while also embracing its potential for growth and the expansion of its relevance locally , nationally and internationally .”
Throughout her career , she has been especially attuned to how art and the social realm coalesce to strengthen communities . “ It is important to consider how a public university can best serve its communities and ensure its members feel like they belong and are accurately represented ,” she says . “ I hope to create connections through art by inviting people into dialogues that address the complexity of the times we are living in .”
To encourage an understanding of art as more than just a passing curiosity or Instagramworthy selfie , Berlanga Taylor strives to inspire students and scholars to see each artwork in the Stuart Collection as a learning environment . As she begins to strategize the future of the collection , Berlanga Taylor plans to embrace themes of social justice and diverse perspectives from international artists .
“ We can create very rich conversations right from the beginning ,” she says . “ This can involve diversifying the portfolio of artists we invite for commissions , the issues and themes that we address , the sites where sculptures are placed and communities we collaborate with , both on and off-campus .”
14 FALL 2022