Holiday Gift Guide 2023
Are you ready for the holiday season? Looking for something special for the loved ones in your life? Check out our curated list of gifts created by artists, scholars, makers, and entrepreneurs from across the arts community at UCLA.
ARTWORK/PRINTS
Lisa Hanawalt '06 (B.A., Art), production designer and producer on the hit television series BoJack Horseman, has a plethora of original art and prints that appeal to both comedy and art lovers.
Sharon Weiss '70 (B.A., Art) offers affordable contemporary paintings of landscapes, flowers, and food on her Etsy shop. Bring the beauty and grandeur of nature inside with one of her paintings.
Julia Wolinsky '07 (B.A., Art) creates dramatic and vibrant paintings of people, food, and objects to tell a story about a place or the way we live. Her fine art prints are the perfect addition to your living room or kitchen.
Isaac Ruder '22 (M.F.A., Design Media Arts) operates Corporate Earth, an independent design and Risograph studio. The shop produces limited run posters, art prints, and zines on its in-house Riso RP 3700, as well as screen-printed stickers. They’re currently offering a moving sale. Enter discount code “MOVING” during checkout to receive 20% off your entire order. The sale ends Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023.
Antonio Rael '86 (B.A., Art), creator of Uncle Tony’s House of Art, has over 370 artistic gift giving items featuring his original artwork. Social justice and equality merchandise designed by Rael is also available. Born and raised in Southern California, Rael is the founder of the nationally recognized Latino Pop Shop and the Latino Pop Art Movement in the USA. The site is full of great gifts under $20 with free USA shipping and no minimum order.
BOOKS
UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design Professor Dana Cuff published a new book this past spring: Architectures of Spatial Justice. The field-defining work demonstrates how architects are breaking with professional conventions to advance spatial justice and design more equitable buildings and cities. Emerging from more than two decades of Cuff’s own project-based research, the book examines ethically driven practices that break with professional conventions to correct long-standing inequities in the built environment, uncovering architecture's limits — and its potential.
John Rock '80 (M.Arch., Architecture and Urban Design) has the perfect book for both aspiring and working architects: Building Toys: An Architect’s Collection. The book documents over 100 architectural building toys from the author’s collection, from the mid-1800s to the present, from the U.S. and abroad. Each toy has an immersive two-page spread celebrating its unique features with photos of packaging graphics, component parts, assembly diagrams, and a built example designed and constructed by the author. There are approximately 250 pages giving a dynamic visual portrayal of a seldom seen world.
Linda Dalal Sawaya '69 (B.A., Art) published a cookbook: Alice's Kitchen: Traditional Lebanese Cooking. It includes more than 140 original recipes, from how to pick and cure olives to how to bake pocket bread. In the book, generations of recipes passed down from mother to daughter in the mountain village of Douma were brought to America by Grandmother Dalal and Mother Alice — and then passed on to Linda. In Alice's Kitchen, Linda presents their recipes, along with family stories, as a culinary gift to you.
Craig Marshall Smith '73 (M.F.A., Art) is a novelist. While writing an opinion and humor column for 24 metro-Denver weekly newspapers, Smith was encouraged to write novels, which he has been doing for a number of years. They include Welcome to Granby, The Filling Station, Where Is Mary Bergen? and his latest novel The Blue McKellogg, which is about a walnut-sized diamond stolen from the Harvard Museum. Meanwhile in Denver, Colorado, private eye Frank Elgin is hired to locate plaster casts of a world famous sculpture's feet. Is there a connection?
MUSIC
UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Lecturer, trumpet artist, and composer Daniel Rosenboom has a new album, Polarity. The highly-acclaimed jazz album is a fantastic holiday gift for the music lover in your family or friend circle. Polarity presents a dynamic program of original music featuring saxophonist Gavin Templeton, pianist/keyboardist John Escreet, bassist Billy Mohler, and drummer Damion Reid. It is available as a 180-gram limited edition double-vinyl, CD, and digital download.
HOUSEWARES
Jungalow, founded by Justina Blakeney '01 (B.A., World Arts and Cultures), brings bold colors, patterns, and plants aplenty to your home. Jungalow started as a design blog in Blakeney’s tiny, plant-filled living room back in 2009 and has since grown into a lifestyle brand and the go-to source for jungalicious design goods and inspiration. Jungalow is also available at Target's home brand Opalhouse.
Love animals and coffee? Lena Wolek '12 (B.A., Art) is a sculptor working in ceramics and the creator of functional pottery objects like mugs and plates. Each piece is unique and features one of Lena’s drawings of animals like cats, horses, and dogs to reflect on the imperfection of human nature. The mugs are beautiful, humorous, and available on her website.
Gary Steinborn '86 (M.F.A., Art) makes elegant ceramic sculptures and pottery in his Venice Beach, California studio. Perfect for animal lovers, Steinborn offers sculptures of cats and vases adorned with man’s best friend.
Giavanni Washington '13 (Ph.D., World Arts and Cultures) has created The Black Goddess Within Oracle deck, which changes the narrative of Black bodies, Black women, and Black people through the distribution of images of goddesses from all over Africa. These images illuminate Black humanity and beauty while inspiring deep insight. The 44-card deck depicts African goddesses using photos of "real" women.
Paulina Quintana '97 (B.A., Art) founded design studio (re)x to reduce single-use plastics through better design and conscious manufacturing. They have created hangers manufactured from 100% recycled plastic gathered from the ocean or intercepted before entering the ocean. The hangers' plastic is traceable and transparent and are sturdy enough to hold a coat. More importantly, they never occupy space in a landfill. While it’s nearly impossible not to consume at least some plastic products, (re)x wanted to find options for everyday items and turn them into an opportunity to take plastic out of the environment and ultimately eliminate the need for new plastic altogether.
CLOTHING/JEWELRY
UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design Associate Adjunct Professor Julia Koerner’s JK3D is the next generation of 3D printed fashion and decor. The digitally crafted designs utilize cutting-edge technology, and the solar-powered 3D Printing Lab in California creates products from renewable and biodegradable materials. JK3D offers clutches, decor — vases, side tables, and pedestals — and limited edition items such as earrings and decanters.
Since graduating from UCLA's Design Media Arts program, Will Wharton '18 (B.A., Design Media Arts) has worked in the world of concert visuals, fashion, game development, and media art. His multidisciplinary approach employs high-tech tools such as virtual reality sculpting, 3D printing, projection mapping, and more. Recently Will has been working on a collection of wearable jewelry that includes chains, pendants, and a limited set of sterling silver earrings that were designed and sculpted in virtual reality. Enjoy this playful set of specimens!
Jocelyn Gonzalez '25 (B.A., Architecture and Urban Design) creates handmade jewelry as Jewels by Jocy, with the intent to create community through self expression. The most rewarding part of creating jewelry is getting to see people wear my designs, says Jocelyn. Jewels by Jocy’s Azura earrings offer a whimsical take on their classic Fairytopia flower earrings and feature a playful crystal spiral with an accent leaf. Each pair is meticulously handcrafted, ensuring uniqueness and quality, and constructed from hypoallergenic stainless steel.
Daniel Jacob '08 (B.A., Art) founded DANDAN, a clothing and jewelry company. Products range from sweatshirts with embroidered artwork to sterling silver medallions and gemstone rings to an ancient eye necklace.
Verlena Johnson is a student affairs officer in the Department of Architecture and Urban Design as well as a visual artist. Johnson received the 2022 Bridge Builder Award from the UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center for her work in bringing visibility to and honoring historic Black, Brown, LGBTQ and non-gender conforming people, such as Audre Lorde, Marsha P. Johnson, and Bayard Rustin. Verlena’s online store features shirts and lightweight hoodies adorned with images of her paintings.
Yumi Sakugawa '07 (B.A., Art) sells apparel with her original designs at Sunshine. Ranging from sweaters, hoodies, shirts, hats, and more, Yumi’s designs are equal parts humorous and inspirational. She is also the acclaimed author of several books including The Little Book of Life Hacks, I Choose You (Everyday & Always), and Fashion Forecasts.
Jessica Cao '19 (B.A., Design Media Arts) has designed a White Rabbit-candy inspired scarf. It makes a great head wrap, neckerchief, headband, and can even be tied on your purse — there are so many ways to have fun with these! These 100% silk scarves ship with gift-ready packaging and care information. The design was created by Jessica in her San Jose studio and printed in Canada with ethically sourced materials in a shop that provides a living wage and safe working environment.
HAPPY SPIRIT HAPPY LIFE is a clothing and accessories line created by Amrapali Ambegaokar '99 (B.A., Dance). Products range from personalized sweatshirts, ornaments, necklaces, hats, and tons of seasonal and holiday items. There’s something for everyone!
KIDS/TOYS
Alphagram was founded by Ellen Shapiro '70 (B.A., Art) to help every child “see” the sounds that letters make — and learn to read. Alphagram is currently offering a Happy Holly Days Bundle. It includes three great products for the beginning reader and family: An "Is It a Word–Or Not?" flip-book that makes more than 1200 simple words and syllables by flipping the cards; a set of 25 Alphabet ornaments for decorating the tree or home; and a "Ready, Set, Read" quick guide to using the flip-book. Alphagram turns learning into a game that kids love to play.
Give the gift of membership to UCLA Arts’ renowned museums and performing arts program
A membership to UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA) supports the performing arts and provides access to all CAP UCLA programming for free. Become a partner in the creative process and help support the vitality of contemporary performing arts.
This past September, CAP UCLA reinvented the historic Crest Theatre in Westwood as the UCLA Nimoy Theater, an intimately scaled, state-of-the-art performance venue. CAP UCLA is pleased to invite you to join the community of supporters who have come together to make The Nimoy possible. Make a gift of $5,000 or more to their capital campaign, and they’ll name a seat in the The Nimoy for you or in dedication of a special person in your life. Only 128 seats are available for this unique naming opportunity. This is a rare opportunity to create a lasting legacy for you or a loved one while also celebrating your passion for contemporary performing arts.
A Fowler Museum membership comes with perks, including curator-led tours of contemporary art exhibitions at the Fowler and other museums; special “behind the scenes” opportunities; and invitations to exclusive events that explore related art, food, theater, film, and dance.
A Hammer Museum membership gives you access to unique online and in-person experiences designed exclusively for members, including Invitations to exclusive members-only previews and events and priority ticketing to Hammer public programs.
Stay engaged. Use #UCLAarts to stay connected.
