An upcoming exhibition at University of the Pacific is inviting Stockton residents to look beyond today's headlines and assumptions about drugs and consider a much broader question: How have mind-altering substances shaped human culture throughout history?
“Intoxic: Drugs & Culture” opens October 13 at Pacific's Reynolds Gallery and continues through November 20. Described by the university as an interdisciplinary health and humanities exhibition, the show explores the historic cultural uses of mind-altering substances for celebration, health and spiritual transformation.
That approach gives the exhibition a perspective that extends beyond a conventional discussion of substance use. By bringing health and the humanities together, Intoxic places mind-altering substances within the larger story of human societies and the different roles they have played across cultural and historical contexts. Rather than presenting the subject solely through the modern lens of drugs and addiction, the exhibition invites visitors to consider their connections to health, ritual, spirituality and celebration.
The subject is particularly suited to Reynolds Gallery's broader mission. Located inside Pacific's Jeannette Powell Art Center, the gallery describes itself as a place where exhibitions can deepen understanding of history and culture through direct engagement with visual expression. Its programming also connects artists and scholars with academic disciplines across the university, creating opportunities for art to become a starting point for larger conversations.
Stockton residents will have a special opportunity to experience Intoxic during a free public reception on Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. The university specifically lists the general public among the audiences invited to attend. Admission to the exhibition and reception is free.
For those unable to attend the reception, the exhibition will remain on view through Friday, November 20. Reynolds Gallery is typically open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with exceptions for university holidays. Exhibitions at the gallery are free and open to the public.
At a time when conversations about drugs can quickly become centered on crime, addiction or politics, Intoxic: Drugs & Culture offers Stockton a different entry point. It asks visitors to examine the subject through history, culture and health, and to consider how humanity's relationship with mind-altering substances has been far more complex than any single modern narrative.
Event Details
What: Intoxic: Drugs & Culture
Exhibition Dates: October 13 through November 20, 2026
Public Reception: Thursday, October 22, 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: Reynolds Gallery, Jeannette Powell Art Center, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton
Gallery Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with holiday exceptions
Admission: Free and open to the public
Intoxic: Drugs & Culture Exhibition Reception
Intoxic does not ask visitors to view a complicated subject from only one perspective. Instead, it opens the door to curiosity and conversation, exploring how substances associated today with controversy have also intersected with medicine, culture, celebration and spiritual life throughout human history.