Artist-researcher teams will unveil original works inspired by scientific research at ARx Live on November 12
ARx Sacramento, a nine-month program pairing regional artists with researchers, will culminate in ARx Live, a public exhibition and presentation event, on Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC).
At ARx Live, nine artist-researcher teams will unveil original artworks spanning visual, digital, performative, literary and mixed media. Their art translates complex scientific research into creative experiences for public audiences and will remain on view at MOSAC through December 15, 2026.
“We are proud to welcome ARx Live to MOSAC,” said Carlos Gonzalez-Jaime, Executive Director of the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity. “This exciting collaboration reflects our commitment to STEAM education by bringing science, art, and innovation together in ways that inspire curiosity and connect people. By pairing this unique exhibition with MOSAC’s hands-on, interactive experiences, we hope to make these ideas accessible to audiences of all ages and invite our communities to explore the fascinating intersection of art and science.”
The exhibition will feature collaborations between researchers and artists working across disciplines. Participating teams include:
- Geoanna Bautista, assistant professor, UC Davis School of Medicine, and Jennifer Lugris, Uruguayan Korean American painter based in Sacramento.
- Leigh Ann Simmons, professor of nursing at the UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, and Jessica Wimbley, multi-media artist/curator based in Sacramento.
- Jennifer Rosenthal, associate professor of pediatrics at UC Davis School of Medicine, and Jodi Connelly, multi-media artist whose work focuses on the relationship between people and the natural environment.
- Drew Cingel, associate professor, Department of Communication, UC Davis, and Melissa Uroff, artist and photographer based in California.
- Angie Louie, professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, UC Davis, and Muzi Li Rowe, interdisciplinary artist working in photography, sculpture, installation and drawing.
- Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz, associate professor, Centers for Violence Prevention, UC Davis, and Ruby Chacón, Sacramento-based artist and high school educator whose works focuses on the lives and resilience of Chicanx/Latinx communities.
- Dave Hogsett, industrial biologist and managing director of R&D California at Novonesis, and Sunroop Kaur, interdisciplinary artist based in the Bay Area.
- Gabriel Simmons, AI researcher whose applied work spans food, life sciences, and cultural heritage, and Taner Ilhan Pasamehmetoglu, multidisciplinary visual artist whose work explores storytelling, sustainability and cultural hybridity.
- Elizabeth Lopez, wildlife biologist with Sequoia Ecological Consulting, and Yared Portillo, community-based artist, educator, and organizer from Santa María, California.
ARx Sacramento is presented by Wexford Science & Technology and Aggie Square, with support from the City of Sacramento Office of Arts & Culture and MOSAC. An advisory council of academic, business, creative and community leaders helped guide the program’s development and ensured it reflected the region’s diverse perspectives. The program is modeled on ARx at the Phoenix Bioscience Core in Arizona, which is entering its fifth year.
“Nine months ago, we set out to show that Sacramento is a city where creativity and research thrive side-by-side – ARx Live is that vision realized,” said Megan Van Voorhis, Interim Assistant City Manager. “Watching these artist-researcher teams translate rigorous science into work the whole community can experience is exactly the kind of inclusive, innovative arts programming we set out to champion.”
“ARx Live is the clearest expression yet of what Aggie Square is built to do – connect world-class research to the community around it,” said Monique Brown, Knowledge Community Director, Wexford Science & Technology. “These nine teams have spent months in conversation across disciplines that don’t usually share a table, and the result is public art that makes our region’s research visible, personal, and open to everyone who walks through MOSAC’s doors.”
Event Details
ARx Live, a public exhibition and presentation event
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity, 400 Jibboom St, Sacramento, CA 95811
Register for ARx Live here: https://luma.com/aggie-mj1v
For more information about MOSAC, please visit visitmosac.org
