Photography Exhibit at UC Davis Veterinary Hospital Highlights Connections Between People, Place, and Purpose
Employees and clients of the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) are enjoying a new photo exhibit that invites viewers to reflect on their relationship with the land—and each other.
The exhibit, titled [Placeholder: Living Precariously], features work by students from Sacramento State University under the guidance of Eliza Gregory, professor of Photography and Social Practice. The installation is a collaboration between Gregory and Dr. Meera Heller, faculty member at the School of Veterinary Medicine, and brings together art, education, and public service in a powerful new way.
“We have wanted to bring student artwork into the VMTH for a long time,” said Heller. “This project seemed like the perfect opportunity because it highlights organizations within our local community and their interactions with land. Bringing this artwork into the VMTH makes us part of this dialogue and reminds us that we are part of the broader landscape, a vital part of our community and acts as a visual representation of our mission is to serve California and its diverse communities.”
The project stems from a semester-long photography course in which students explored their relationships with the places around them. Through field trips, hands-on experiences, and community interactions, students created photographic works that reflect personal and collective understandings of land, stewardship, and identity.
Most of the photographs on display are student work, capturing a range of environments and moments. The clusters are arranged around single portraits of people central to the stewardship of the environment. For instance, one cluster features the UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology, with a portrait of Allen Chew, Insect Curator, in the center.
The larger environmental portraits that anchor the exhibit are Gregory’s own—rich, detailed images that offer a professional counterpoint and contextual frame to the students’ perspectives.
"I'm so grateful to be able to share this work with the hospital community," said Gregory. "The hospital brings together a group of professionals and clients who care for more-than-human life and think about relationships to land from a wide array of perspectives. It's an audience I am eager to be in dialogue with and learning from.”
For both Heller and Gregory, the exhibit also represents an important bridge between institutions and communities in the region. By connecting Sacramento State and UC Davis, the project fosters interdisciplinary dialogue and regional collaboration.
The artists include Jonathan Wong, Zoey Velarde, Amy Tejada, Ethan Smith, Jesus Sanchez, Shana Press, Angelina Povio, Ryan Porter, Binh Nguyen, Yancey Mejia, Olivia Lopez, Karla Legorreta, Mindy Huynh, Angelo Hinojosa, Trevor Dahm, Evalina Carrillo, Zen Carlson, Olivia Bailey, Eyanna Brown, Kristina Marie Belantes, and Eliza Gregory.
More information about the project is available through these links:
Placeholder exhibit overview
Gregory discussing exhibit on Sacramento State podcast
Downloadable book (PDF) of exhibit
Short film on exhibit