Davida Persaud: Community, Activism, and Education

UCLA Arts alumnus, artist, and filmmaker Zach Blas joins the podcast to discuss his upbringing in Point Pleasant, West Virginia; his initial interests in film and what ultimately inspired his passion for art and technology; his life-saving experience as a Tori Amos groupie; and his current work and contribution to the exhibition Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film at LACMA, part of Getty’s region-wide initiative PST ART: Art & Science Collide.

UCLA Arts alumna and lecturer Davida Persaud joins the podcast to discuss her passion for community-based work, activism, and the arts; her experience in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance Ph.D. program; and the origin and future of MuralColors, a company she co-founded that produces, preserves, and restores public artworks.

UCLA Arts alumnus and artist Amir H. Fallah M.F.A. ‘05 joins Works In Progress to discuss his initial interests in art, skateboarding, and graffiti; how he has time after time had to sink or swim; the ups and downs of being an independent magazine publisher; and the therapeutic power of his 2023 Fowler Museum exhibition, The Fallacy of Borders.

UCLA Arts alumnus and Detroit-based artist and professor Osman Khan M.F.A. ‘04 joins "Works In Progress" to discuss his remarkable journey from the tech world to the art field, how he arrived at UCLA, the inspirations behind his provocative and poignant work, and his upcoming solo exhibition at MASS MoCA, Road to Hybridabad.

UCLA Arts alumna, emerging researcher, and education evaluation specialist Lindsey Kunisaki ‘15 joins "Works In Progress" to discuss what initially drew her to the arts, what she gained from her time in UCLA’s Visual and Performing Arts Education (VAPAE) program, the importance of culturally sustaining pedagogy, and California Proposition 28, the largest investment in arts and music in our nation’s history.

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.