Alumni Spotlight: Fall 2025
UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture alumni from all four academic departments—Art, Design Media Arts, World Arts and Cultures/Dance, and Architecture and Urban Design—as well as from our Visual and Performing Arts Education (VAPAE) Program have shared updates about their work and accomplishments since graduating from UCLA. This column features their recent achievements, publications, exhibitions, performances, and career milestones.
Awards and Recognitions
From left to right, T+E+A+M's "The Warehouse" (photo by Brooke Holm) and Current Interests' "Sister Dreamer.”
Ellie Abrons M.Arch. ’06, Adam Fure M.Arch. ’06, and Mira Henry M.Arch. ’10—all alumni of Architecture and Urban Design—and their respective practices have been named to Architectural Record’s 2025 Design Vanguard. Abrons and Fure’s practice, T+E+A+M (with Thom Moran and Meredith Miller), and Henry’s practice, Current Interests (with Matthew Au), are among ten international firms recognized in this year’s Design Vanguard. Each year, Architectural Record editors select ten emerging practices from around the world to feature in the magazine’s June issue. Launched in 2000, the Design Vanguard program is described by the publication as its “annual showcase of young talent.”
Photo-illustration by Refik Anadol for TIME.
Refik Anadol M.F.A. ‘14 (Design Media Arts) has been named on the TIME100 AI 2025 list as one of the innovators, leaders, and thinkers reshaping our world through groundbreaking advances in artificial intelligence. Over the past decade, Anadol has developed a distinctive style with AI: using custom models, his studio creates large-scale audiovisual installations depicting hypnotic, swirling particles—often framed as machine “dreams” or “hallucinations”—lighting up galleries and public spaces across the world. “They have a lot of meaning for me,” Anadol told TIME, describing his use of these molecules over the last fifteen years. “It's timeless in how they show [data], but what they show and create can change.”
Jenny Gagalka M.F.A. ‘18 (Art) was recently awarded a 2024-2025 Krasner-Pollock Foundation Grant. In July 2025, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation awarded $3,262,000 to 107 artists and nonprofit organizations, providing essential support to artists in the United States and around the world. This year’s grant cycle includes grantees from 14 countries and 21 U.S. states. Marking a major milestone this year, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation celebrates its 40th anniversary—proudly honoring four decades of supporting artists worldwide, made possible by the bold foresight and enduring legacy of Lee Krasner, a trailblazer of Abstract Expressionism.
Still from Justin Streichman's DALE.
Justin Streichman ‘08 (World Arts and Cultures) directed and edited the short documentary DALE, featuring Dale Hikawa Silverman. In a field historically dominated by white men, Hikawa Silverman was the first Asian woman to join the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Looking back on her long career, this trailblazing violist reflects on the meaning of her life’s work. DALE has received multiple honors, including “Best Short Documentary” from the Albuquerque Film & Music Experience, “Best Documentary Portrait” from DOC LA, “Audience Choice Award for Best Short Documentary” from DisOrient, and the “Swift House Prize for Best Depiction of the Arts” from the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival.
A photo from Kao’s series Queer and Trans Utopia: The Ritual and Reimagination of Drag.
Christine Kao ‘23 (Design Media Arts) was selected as “Jury Top 5” in the 2025 International Photography Awards for Queer and Trans Utopia: The Ritual and Reimagination of Drag. Kao was also selected for the 2025 Eddie Adams Workshop. Founded in 1988, the Eddie Adams Workshop was created to expand access to professional opportunities by selecting students based on talent rather than their ability to pay tuition. A committee of industry leaders selects 100 participants solely on the strength of their work. Over four intensive days, students work alongside top photographers and editors, gaining hands-on experience through assignments, portfolio reviews, panel discussions, and presentations.
Exhibitions and Performances
Installation view of Aparicio's Stellar Remnants at LaPau Gallery. (Monica Orozco)
Susan Aparicio M.F.A. ‘22 (Art) will debut her installation Millions of Dreams Ago at the UCLA Planetarium on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Aparicio’s Millions of Dreams Ago is a multi-media installation bringing together stained-glass sculptures and video, using the unique projecting capabilities of the planetarium to draw together narratives of familiar ties, memory, cosmic time, and diaspora.
Luz Carabaño M.F.A. '22 and Sheng Lor M.F.A. '25, both alumni from the Department of Art, are featured in the exhibition Saturation Points at Pomona College's Chan Gallery. Alongside Sid M. Duenas, Barbara T. Smith, and Lisa Williamson, the five contemporary Los Angeles-based artists take on color, and its deliberate absence, to move toward each work's intended saturation point. Sometimes this appears as vibrant intensity, other times as restraint, but each work pushes toward its own inevitable limit. Through monochromatic and chromatic manipulation of color saturation, these artists move artistic processes toward a philosophical investigation of perception's boundaries.
Russell Ferguson, former chair of the Department of Art and former Hammer Museum chief curator, has included several alumni in Surface Streets, an exhibition at Marian Goodman Gallery in Los Angeles: Kirsten Everberg M.F.A. ‘04, Anna Glantz ‘11, James Iveson M.F.A. ‘16, Becky Kolsrud M.F.A. ‘12, Paul Sietsema M.F.A. ‘99, and Tristan Unrau M.F.A. ‘17—all from the Department of Art. The title of the exhibition, a term that contextually denotes Los Angeles streets (but not freeways), is intended to evoke both the specificity of the local environment and the tactility that is integral to painting. Surface Streets is on view through Oct. 18, 2025.
Hantehzadeh’s Suction Helps Breathing Air will be on view at Night Gallery.
Nasim Hantehzadeh M.F.A. ‘18 (Art) is presenting a solo exhibition, Tickles, Dance, and Goosebump Blooms, at Night Gallery in Los Angeles. On view Sept. 20 through Oct. 25, this is the artist's first solo exhibition with the gallery. Across this new body of work, Hantehzadeh continues their practice with intuitive precision, interweaving personal history and cultural memory through mark and movement. After years of working with oil on canvas and linen, the artist is embracing acrylic as an additional medium to explore softer, more gestural territories.
A photo from Kagan's performance of ...and then this happened... at L.A. Dance Project.
Sharon Kagan ‘76 (Art) performed …and then this happened… for ENDURANCE by Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) at L.A. Dance Project on May 16, 2025. ENDURANCE presented performance art and interdisciplinary work by elder artists. This series was a companion program to LACE’s 2024 performance series, ABUNDANCE, both featuring often invisibilized bodies. Kagen also has a solo exhibition, Bearing Witness, at Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) from Jan. 31 through April 19, 2026.
Installation view of Koke's tide at Franz Kaka in Toronto, Canada.
Zoe Koke M.F.A. ‘19 (Art) has a solo exhibition, tide, at Franz Kaka, a contemporary art gallery in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 2016 as an artist-led gallery, it has grown from the city’s history of artist-run and DIY spaces into a platform for contemporary art with an expanding international reach. Koke’s tide will be on view from Sept. 13 through Oct. 25, 2025. Koke will also have a solo exhibition at Wolfpack HQ in January 2025, as part of an exhibition series in the archives of Luchita Hurtado and Lee Mullican in Garden, Calif.
The Hammer Museum at UCLA’s upcoming exhibition Made in L.A. 2025 will feature several alumni: Na Mira M.F.A. ‘13, Hanna Hur M.F.A. ‘19, Carl Cheng M.A. ‘67, and Beaux Mendes M.F.A. ‘19, all from the Department of Art. Made in L.A. 2025 is the seventh iteration of the Hammer’s signature biennial exhibition that showcases artists practicing throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Neither myth nor monolith, Los Angeles is many things to many people, and its dissonance is perhaps its most distinguishing feature. Made in L.A. 2025 is on view Oct. 5 through March 1, 2025.
Morrison's Lamma Rain will be on view at Oolong Gallery.
Erin Morrison M.F.A. ‘14 (Art) has a solo exhibition, The Pleated Saeculum: Erin Morrison, at Oolong Gallery in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. The exhibition is on view Sept. 27 through Nov. 1, 2025.
Paller's painting on paper will soon be on view in Slovenia.
Gary Paller M.F.A. ‘77 (Art) will have paintings featured in the group exhibition Abstraction Visited and Revisited from Sept. 20 through Nov. 22 at CMay Gallery in Los Angeles. CMay Gallery is a contemporary art gallery that focuses on building a global cultural exchange through dynamic programming showcasing international artists. Paller also has a painting on paper included in the exhibition Visible World of Invisible Connections, an exhibition showcasing artworks in the collection of the Telekom Slovenije Art Collection, at Cankarjev dom in Slovenia. The exhibition is on view Sept. 24 through Jan. 18, 2026.
A film still of Jimena Sarno's Rhapsody. (Courtesy of the artist)
Jimena Sarno '11 (Art and Visual and Performing Arts Education) has an exhibition opening on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS Moca). Sarno engages craft traditions to imagine a future built on values of collectivity, reconfiguration, and repair. For Rhapsody, the title of the exhibition and the installation at its core, Sarno collaborated with artists, teachers, and makers, most of whom are from the Global South, combining filmmaking, sound, and sculpture with contemporary and traditional craft practices. Rhapsody is on view through Sunday, Feb. 28, 2027.
Warshal completed a residency in Cameroon for Combat des Lianes, where she met with the Baka communities of the equatorial forest and Koungang peoples of western Cameroon.
Jessica Chiye Warshal '23 (Dance and Visual and Performing Arts Education) is performing in the international premiere for Combat des Lianes by Zora Snake at the Theatre National Wallonie-Bruxelles on Sept. 23. Combat des Lianes is a work which draws on the roots of the forest and the movements of peoples in struggle. Combat des Lianes discusses the capitalism-driven deforestation that threatens the indigenous peoples of Central Africa, the spirit of the forest, and explores ritual as an initiatory place of healing. Warshal will be touring with this piece at Biennale Charleroi Danse this year and internationally in 2026-2027.
The dancers of the Lula Washington Dance Theater move fluidly together. (Ruth Gutierrez / The Ford)
Lula Washington M.A. ‘84 (Dance) celebrated 45 years of Lula Washington Dance Theatre on Aug. 23 at the Ford. Washington has been a seminal figure in the arts world, including in her homebase of South L.A.—guiding and shaping hundreds of young community members and dancers at her studio over the years. The company has toured extensively around America and the world, and in 2021 received a nearly $1 million Mellon Grant. The tribute at the Ford included performances of historic Washington pieces alongside new works by Martha Graham, Donald McKayle, and more.
Publications
Cover art for Black's Finding Real Yoga.
Daren Black M.A. ‘81 (Dance) published Finding Real Yoga this past summer. Recipient of Pencraft Awards’ “Literary Excellence Best Book Award” in the biography category, Finding Real Yoga delivers the true journey of a man rescued from the devastation of homelessness, heartbreak, life-threatening illness, and severe injuries. Find out how he was uplifted by one of the greatest spiritual masters in modern history.
A volunteer enters a backyard in Altadena to stop fire from spreading. (Tag Christof)
Shane Reiner-Roth Ph.D. ‘25 (Architecture and Urban Design) wrote the The Architect’s Newspaper article “Altadena Elegy.” As the fires expanded across the hillsides in Los Angeles toward its center, an anonymous quote was spreading across social media: “Climate change will manifest as a series of disasters viewed through phones with footage that gets closer and closer to where you live until you’re the one filming it.” Climate change has arrived in our living rooms, imploring us to take to the streets to repair our neighborhoods, keep a watchful eye over those who stand to profit from it, and stand better prepared for whatever happens next.
Career Milestones
Adam Boggs Ph.D. ‘24 (Architecture and Urban Design) recently joined the faculty of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as assistant professor of art and design. Boggs was also named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for the 2025-2026 academic year. Boggs will travel across border cities from El Paso to Tijuana to document 276 obelisk-shaped boundary markers that trace the U.S.-Mexico divide. “My project focuses on counter-mapping these monuments and engaging local communities in conversations around space, architecture and identity,” he said. “I see it as an act of co-creating knowledge grounded in place.”
Dan Frost ‘02 (Art) has been coaching and supporting San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) staff to use Adobe Express with their students to increase creativity in classrooms. Frost wants every teacher and student in SFUSD to feel confident about their creative abilities and the value of their stories. A Program Manager for SFUSD, Frost helps lead the introduction, integration, and adoption of technology districtwide. He identifies tools teachers can use to create breakthrough moments of learning, while giving students opportunities to engage in ways that reflect their perspectives and personalities.
Jessica Hawthorne-Castro ’01 (Art) is CEO of Hawthorne Advertising, a national leader in performance-driven marketing. Under her leadership, the agency has redefined results-based advertising by combining compelling storytelling with advanced data science. Through proprietary tools, deep analytics, and neuroscience-driven strategy, Hawthorne-Castro ensures each campaign—across creative, production, media, and strategy—delivers measurable impact and long-term brand value. A recognized thought leader, she has authored articles for leading outlets including Forbes, AdAge, AdWeek, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and the American Marketing Association.
Rui Hu M.F.A. ‘17 (Design Media Arts) joined Duke Kunshan University as assistant professor of computation and design. As an artist, Hu works with computer graphics, moving images, installation, and game and virtual simulation technologies. His practice and research explore the issues of time and temporality from a multitude of perspectives, such as causation, prediction, decision, and language.
Projects
Installation view of Reveal the New Center in Hangzhou, China.
Zhoufan Chen M.Arch. ’18 and Shundi Zhan M.Arch. ’18 (both Architecture and Urban Design) and their architecture practice UNFOLD PLANE recently completed installation design for Reveal the New Center, an exhibition in Hangzhou, China. The exhibition reveals Yuhang District’s transformation from farmland to metropolitan district. Its design draws from the district’s wetlands, using their patterns as ground graphics and circulation strategy, with models floating on lightweight platforms. A cubic language of translucent acrylic and aluminum profiles defines rhythm and structure, offering clarity without enclosure. Interactive devices replace static displays, inviting visitors to engage directly with the material and learn about the city’s evolution. Built from recyclable aluminum profiles, the system is designed for reuse, embedding flexibility and sustainability.
Perry Picasshoe and his father walk through downtown Riverside while looking for a good spot to place another ice block on July 3, 2025. (Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
Perry Picasshoe ‘24 (Art) was featured in the Los Angeles Times. Picasshoe spent his summer documenting the melting of 36 ice blocks on sidewalks across California’s Inland Empire. He traveled to nine locations where immigration enforcement raids have taken place in the past few weeks. In each spot, he placed four 25-pound ice blocks on the ground and took photos of them as they melted. He would periodically check on the progress, he explained, and found that some were smashed into pieces or completely disappeared. “I took it as a metaphor of what’s happening,” Picasshoe said, referencing the recent ICE raids taking place across Southern California. “I was also thinking a lot about having these blocks of ice as almost a stand-in for people.”
Header image: Perry Picasshoe and his father place an ice block near the epicenter of the city’s monthly arts walk in downtown Riverside on July 3, 2025. (Daniel Hernandez / Los Angeles Times)
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