UCLA Arts Newsletter

May 10, 2021

UCLA's research budget, which topped $1.4 billion last year, is mostly spent in STEM fields, developing vaccines and robots, breaking new ground in science and math, agriculture, atmospheric science, and other fields.

While they historically receive considerably less research funding, the arts and humanities are just as vital to UCLA’s research environment, says Roger Wakimoto, UCLA’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activities.

In an interview with the UCLA Arts podcast Works In Progress, Wakimoto discussed the importance of arts-related research on campus, his own creative interest in photographing tornadoes, and how his office is promoting diversity and inclusion in research at UCLA.

Don't Miss:

Check out upcoming virtual programs from across our academic departments, museums, and performing arts presenters. Find a complete list of upcoming events on the UCLA Arts online calendar.


May 15: Ted Hearne is a composer, singer, bandleader and recording artist. He draws on a wide breadth of influences to create intense, personal, multi-dimensional works.		May 18: This panel of authors, critics, and scholars dives into the ongoing resonances of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man as well as the importance of Ellison’s other writing.

May 20: THE LAST ONLINE SHOW from a very quiet cohort deals with themes of empathy, disillusionment, hybridity, migration, and more.		May 20: Chitra Ganesh’s drawing-based practice brings to light representations of femininity, sexuality, and power absent from canons of literature and art.

May 24: Höweler + Yoon is a design-driven architecture practice and creative studio that believes design is an instrument for imagining and implementing change.		May 26: Renowned Iranian Jewish artist Soraya Sarah Nazarian and her daughters will recount Soraya’s extraordinary journey as an immigrant, artist, and philanthropist.

School of the Arts and Architecture alumni from all four academic departments submitted updates about their work and accomplishments since graduating from UCLA. This column features their achievements, awards, publications, and other honors, as well as upcoming exhibitions of their work.

In the News:


Eli Broad made his billions building homes, and then he used that wealth—and the considerable collection of world-class modern art he assembled with his wife — to shape the city around him.		The Hammer Museum has premiered its Hammer Channel, a searchable streaming platform archiving artist talks, performances, panel discussions, readings, exhibition trailers and more dating to 2005.

Charles McNulty, theater critic of the Los Angeles Times, shares his experience with 600 Highwaymen's “A Thousand Ways,” presented by CAP UCLA.		Though they started off as teacher and student, UCLA Department of Art professor Catherine Opie and Sam Richardson (Art MFA 2020) have forged a bond that transcends institutional hierarchies.

At least six sculptures, potentially as many as 19, stolen during an 1897 massacre by British colonists in Africa have been sitting quietly in two Los Angeles art museum collections for the past half-century.		Led by Dr. David Delgado Shorter, UCLA’s The Archive of Healing is a digital database that draws on folklorists and anthropologists, documenting traditions and rituals of wellness, including the use of many spices.

Announcements:

Commencement 2021 FAQ
The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture will hold a virtual commencement ceremony for its graduating students on June 12, 2021. Check back here for regular updates.

Chancellor's Arts Initiative supports arts-based research
The Chancellor’s Council on the Arts and the Office for Research and Creative Activities are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Chancellor’s Arts Initiative. The grant awards support 12 UCLA faculty projects, with priority given to projects that contribute to UCLA’s larger commitments to sustainability, anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion. Read more.

Last Call! All alums of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture!
As we develop new programs to enhance the alumni experience at UCLA, we invite you to share your thoughts through this 10-minute online survey before it closes on Friday, May 14th.

Shantel Daniels named Director of Student Services for the School of the Arts and Architecture
Shantel Daniels has been promoted to the position of Director of Student Services for the Office for Student Services in the School of the Arts and Architecture. Get to know this UCLA alum by checking out our interview with her here.

Find up-to-date COVID-19 resources and information for the UCLA community
Guidance and updates for the Bruin community, the media and the broader public about UCLA’s ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more.

Read the latest stories about UCLA Arts students, faculty, staff, and alumni
From campus news to faculty and alumni activities around the globe, the UCLA Arts website is updated daily to aggregate the best news and stories about and written by the School of the Arts and Architecture community. Read more.

PS:

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the GO ARTS UCLA website.

The arts are an essential part of our lives, and have long been vital to UCLA and our region. For the first time, supporters of the arts can find the full array of UCLA offerings in one central location: GO ARTS UCLA.

This website brings together news, feature stories, and upcoming events from across UCLA’s three professional arts schools, UCLA College Humanities Division, the Hammer and Fowler Museum, UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance, the Film and Television Archive and more.

Visit GO ARTS UCLA to get the latest news, features, and events and stay connected to the arts at UCLA.

Read past editions of the UCLA Arts Newsletter

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