Arts
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Five overlooked films you must watch
A group of experts experts including the directors Charles Burnett and Ava DuVernay recommended Distinguished Professor of The Arts and History of Consciousness Isaac Julien’s 2008 film “Derek” as one of the five best movies not enough people have seen.
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Isaac Julien: All That Changes You. Metamorphosis
All That Changes You. Metamorphosis – Distinguished Professor of History of Consciousness and the Arts Isaac Julien’s UK premiere at Victoria Miro—was featured in the Brooklyn Rail’s Artseen column.
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UC Santa Cruz celebrates ’60s soul scene with ‘Dreamgirls’
The African American Theater Arts Troupe brings the glitter and grit of the 1960s soul scene to UC Santa Cruz with an electrifying production of Dreamgirls. Witness the rise of the Dreamettes in this high-energy musical celebrating Black excellence and the power of student performance.
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Isaac Julien and Mira Nair Among Cultural Figures Who Signed an Open Letter in Support of Former Barbican Director Devyani Saltzman
Acclaimed artist, filmmaker, and Distinguished Professor of The Arts and History of Consciousness Isaac Julien signed an open letter in support of Devyani Saltzman, the former director of London’s Barbican Centre. Saltzman left abruptly earlier this week, just a few weeks after Abigail Pogson was appointed chief executive.
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The 10 exhibitions to see in February 2026
Acclaimed artist, filmmaker, and Distinguished Professor of The Arts and History of Consciousness Isaac Julien’s exhibition All That Changes You. Metamorphosis was featured in ArtReview’s roundup of the top ten exhibitions to see in February.
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The five best 1990s British films you’ve never heard of
Acclaimed artist, filmmaker, and Distinguished Professor of The Arts and History of Consciousness Isaac Julien’s “Young Soul Rebels” was featured in a roundup of great but overlooked British films.
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How the Grinch went from a Yuletide bit player to a Christmas A-lister
“The economy is in big trouble, our political situation is chaotic, there’s a lot of hate — it’s no wonder that we would seek to express that through the embodiment of a monster like the Grinch,” said Michael M. Chemers, director of the Center for Monster Studies at UC Santa Cruz.
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Stunning art and design books that celebrate Bay Area talent
Acclaimed artist, filmmaker, and Distinguished Professor of The Arts and History of Consciousness Isaac Julien was featured in a story by arts writer Tony Bravo about new books focusing on design and culture.
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The return of Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ emphasizes the actual carols
Its success in that department is largely due to the show’s music director Luke Shepherd, a lecturer in UCSC’s Music Department who self-identifies as “a Christmas carol nerd.”
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AFI Awards Top 10: ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ and ‘Marty Supreme’ Make the List, as ‘The Pitt’ and ‘The Studio’ Lead TV Honors
This year’s juries — one for film and one for television — included Lily Gladstone, Lauren LeFranc, Patton Oswalt and Thomas Schlamme; scholars Mark Harris and Leonard Maltin along with representatives from Syracuse University, USC, UCLA and UC Santa Cruz; critics Ann Hornaday, Janet Maslin and Peter Travers; and members of the AFI Board of…
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Top events for the week ahead in Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment
Bay Area-born jazz pianist Benny Green is a familiar name and face in Santa Cruz, having charmed audiences at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center for years. On Sunday, Green makes another visit to town, this one up to campus, performing along with the UCSC Big Band in a concert showcasing tunes by the immortal Thelonious Monk,…
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(Fore)playing with Fire
Stephens, Sprinkle’s longtime partner, is an artist and art professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The couple didn’t originate the ecosexuality term, but have framed much of their recent work around “shifting the idea of Earth as mother to Earth as lover,” Stephens says.