James Stuart DeSilva envisioned an art collection that allowed “generations of bright, eager young people the opportunity to find art even when they weren’t looking for it. Nineteen installations later, we asked Stuart Collection Director Mary Beebe for the inside stories behind them.

“Ten years after graduating from UC San Diego, I set out to hike the northern part of the Muir Trail in the spirit of my college’s namesake. Though I had zero through-hiking experience before stepping foot on the trail, I had the utmost of inspiration.”