The Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery at Cowell College, UC Santa Cruz, is presenting "About Hunger & Resilience," an exhibition by photographer Michael Nye featuring portraits and oral histories on hunger in America, collected over four and a half years. The show is paired with "Circuit," a student-led photographic installation by Morgan Yacullo that maps campus food systems, including the UCSC Farm, Chadwick Garden, Redwood Free Market, and Cowell Coffee Shop. The exhibitions are part of a yearlong campus focus on food systems and food justice, curated with support from the Basic Needs team and curatorial intern Sloane Harris.
This exhibition matters because it uses visual art to address the pressing social issue of food insecurity, connecting personal narratives with systemic analysis and campus resources. By bridging artistic storytelling with student support efforts, it highlights how art can foster community dialogue and action around basic needs, reflecting the lived experiences of many in the UC Santa Cruz community and reinforcing institutional efforts to reduce food insecurity and support holistic student well-being.