Two exhibitions opening in January at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis explore themes of cultural origins, legacy, and preservation in California art. "Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures" (Jan. 7–June 20) is the Bay Area sculptor's largest solo show to date, featuring works in ceramics, metal, papier-mâché, and found objects that interrogate value systems, personal and political symbols, and site sensitivity. The emotional centerpiece, "The Elephant in the Room," evokes ruins and marketplaces of North Africa and Southwest Asia. Concurrently, "Backstory: Digitizing the Museum Collection" (Jan. 21–May 2) turns the museum into a working digitization lab, displaying signature works from UC Davis’ Fine Art Collection while revealing the process of preserving art for posterity.
These exhibitions matter because they highlight the growing national recognition of Sahar Khoury, an Oakland-based artist whose work is also on view at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, and Parker Gallery, Los Angeles. Khoury’s thoughtful use of discarded materials and her background in anthropology offer a timely meditation on what cultures value and discard. The digitization exhibition also underscores the evolving role of museums in making collections accessible while preserving fragile works. Together, they position the Manetti Shrem Museum as a vital hub for experimental California art and critical conversations about heritage and memory.