Advertise on podcast: Works In Progress

UCLA Arts alumni and active practitioners Dami Olufowoshe M.Arch. ‘16 and Katie Chuh M.Arch. ‘16 join "Works In Progress" to discuss what initially drew them to architecture, what they gained from their time at UCLA, how they have adapted to rapidly evolving technology, and any advice they can provide to aspiring architects.

Dancers and UCLA Arts alumni Jackie Lopez ‘04, Harry Weston ‘12, and Alli Gray ‘10 join "Works In Progress" to discuss what initially drew them to Hip Hop; what they gained from their time at UCLA; the history and future of Versa-Style Dance Company, a non-profit organization and dance ensemble; and any advice they can provide to aspiring dancers.

Artists Jackie Amézquita M.F.A. ‘22 and Roksana Pirouzmand M.F.A. ‘22 both currently have work on view at the Hammer Museum at UCLA’s biennial "Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living." For the first episode of the new season, the UCLA Arts alumnae join "Works In Progress" to discuss what originally drew them to art, their work in the show, what they gained from their graduate studies at UCLA, and what it's like to be a working artist in Los Angeles.

Design media arts students worked alongside environmental science students this spring to create design and art projects that draw attention to climate change and ecological inequality. Professor and department chair Rebeca Méndez led the “Introduction to Ecological Art and Justice” class this quarter, the final part of a three-quarter sequence, and joined several students to discuss design’s ability to change minds and spur action.

Native American Indigenous artist and UCLA alumna Mercedes Dorame will deliver the keynote address at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture’s 2022 commencement on Saturday, June 11th at 4 p.m. This will be the first commencement ceremony to be held in-person since 2019. Dorame spoke to the UCLA Arts podcast Works In Progress about how her Tongva heritage informs her practice, which encompasses photography, sculptural installations, and sound art.

The Fowler Museum exhibition Aboriginal Screen-Printed Textiles from Australia’s Top End invites us to explore more than 70 distinctive, screen-printed textiles made by contemporary artists at five Aboriginal-owned art centers across northern Australia. These textiles combine traditional cultural knowledge with contemporary production techniques to produce dazzling, unique fabrics. Their bold colors and striking patterns have inspired interior design, furnishings, and fashion apparel.   Joanna Barrkman, Senior Curator of Southeast Asian and Pacific Arts at the Fowler Museum, joins the UCLA Arts podcast Works In Progress to share stories about the artists and inspirations behind these textiles, on view at the Fowler through July 10.  

This winter quarter, design media arts students researched Los Angeles and its ecologies through the lens of climate change. Department of Design Media Arts professor and vice chair Peter Lunenfeld emphasized the importance of design research in the hybrid seminar/studio course “Introduction to Ecological Art and Justice,” part of a three-quarter sequence. Students conducted original research in order to think through historical and on-going issues of environmental racism in Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Dance Camera West, the world-renowned dance film festival, marks its 20th anniversary this year. From March 24-April 2, the festival will screen the top films selected from a record of over 400 submissions from around the world, in a live in-person event at two Los Angeles venues. UCLA professors of choreography Lionel Popkin and David Roussève, who are board members of Dance Camera West, and the festival's executive and artistic director Kelly Hargraves join the UCLA Arts podcast "Works In Progress" for a conversation about the festival and the evolution of dance on film.

Classes rooted in AEDI – anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion – are being taught across the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. This winter quarter, two undergraduate Art studio classes – painting and new genres – are being taught as AEDI-themed courses. On this episode of the UCLA Arts podcast "Works In Progress," we spoke to faculty members Patty Wickman and Vishal Jugdeo as well as students about this shift and how students are responding in the classroom.

UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance will present award-winning choreographer Ronald K. Brown and his company EVIDENCE’s newest dance work, The Equality of Night and Day: First Glimpse, at Royce Hall on Saturday, March 5. The work features recordings from UCLA distinguished professor emerita Angela Davis’s speeches. CAP UCLA is highlighting the activist and educator's legacy with a special exhibition drawn from UCLA Library Special Collections.

Edgar Arceneaux is an artist-in-residence at UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, where he is developing his work-in-progress "Boney Manilli," a live performance, exhibition, and single-channel film. On the latest episode of "Works In Progress," Arceneaux discusses his inspirations for the work, from 70’s disco group Boney M. and 90’s pop duo Milli Vanilli, to losing his mother to dementia. He also discusses his extensive research process, working on themes across an array of media, and seeking out artistic subjects that have “a level of unsettledness.” 

At just 16 years old, Jimmy Wu committed a crime that led to 13 ½ years of incarceration. In a Los Angeles juvenile detention facility, IOW introduced him to creative writing. He now runs the organization and is an advocate for juvenile justice reform. This quarter, Wu is teaching a class at UCLA through the Visual and Performing Arts Education program (VAPAE) called “Arts Programs in Correctional Institutions.”