UCSB Arts & Lectures Commits to Keep Santa Barbara a Culturally Vibrant Place
Arts & Lectures annually presents more than a hundred events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues.
By Sheridan Taphorn| Noozhawk
With the holiday season just around the corner, it’s that time of year to start giving back to your favorite local nonprofits. Join Noozhawk this #GivingTuesday and give a gift that keeps on giving!
Noozhawk is teaming up with local nonprofits to encourage you to take part in the international day of giving, which takes place on November 30th, 2021.
It is no secret that this past year and a half has been full of challenges. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local nonprofits need your support now more than ever.
Our Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section provides all the resources you need to donate this holiday season, including a full Giving Guide with a list of local nonprofits who need your help this Giving Tuesday.
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Tricia Murdoch, Director of Development at UCSB Arts & Lectures, to learn more about how the nonprofit is dedicated to educate, entertain and inspire.
UCSB Arts & Lectures
Question: What is the name & mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: UCSB Arts & Lectures is one of the premier University-based performing arts and lectures programs in the United States and a driving force in the national arts presenting scene. Our mission in just three words: Educate Entertain, Inspire.
Q: How long has your nonprofit been in service?
A: Arts & Lectures was established in 1959.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: UCSB Arts & Lectures has a commitment to keep Santa Barbara a culturally vibrant place and a community that cahmpions thoughtful dialogue. We are clear about our role in making this happen, and we accept the challenge.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: UCSB Arts & Lectures is primarily funded through ticket sales and individual, corporate and foundation donations. Philanthropic support from our Santa Barbara community is imperative so that we are able to present high-quality, timely conversations by leaders in the arts, sciences, and politics as well as presentations by the world’s best artistic talents.
Funding for our 2021–2022 season remains a concern for UCSB Arts & Lectures. Ticket sales have been affected by our attendees’ comfort level with in-person events. We have experienced donors adjusting their commitment levels or withdrawing their support completely. The looming cuts in budgets due to state economic shortages further unsettle our future.
Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your nonprofit?
A: Arts & Lectures is conscious of the uncertain pandemic landscape in our world today and our wish is to accommodate as much of the community as possible. Our entire 2021–2022 season consists of our popular in-person events. Per UC guidelines, all attendees must show proof of vaccination to enter our events and social distancing is observed when appropriate.
In addition to in-person events, an at-home livestream option will be available for many of our programs for those who cannot attend in person. We want our lectures and performances to be accessible to all. And to further support UCSB students in their academic pursuits, they can attend any Justice For All event free of charge.
Throughout the COVID pandemic, UCSB Arts & Lectures has remained nimble and responded to challenges with enhanced programming. Community support can ensure that UCSB Arts and Lectures will be able to maintain our staff, remain a source of joy and engagement, and financially withstand the ongoing crisis.
Q: In what ways does your nonprofit utilize it’s funding?
A: UCSB Arts and Lectures presents over 150 public performances, lectures, and film screenings each year to the Santa Barbara community. It is the largest arts presenting organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco, drawing over 75,000 patrons annually.
In addition to its presenting program, UCSB Arts & Lectures commissions new artistic work and produces extensive education engagement programs and community partnerships. Every year, UCSB Arts & Lectures serves community members with free concerts, lectures, and summer outdoor film series, in addition to the arts engagement opportunities for all ages.
Through Arts & Lectures’ robust education programs, visiting artists and lecturers engage in residencies and master classes, visit classrooms for lively discussions, inspire critical thinking, and spark dialogue with over 400,000 students across the UCSB campus, in K-12 schools, and throughout the community.
Q: What makes your nonprofit different from others?
A: UCSB Arts & Lectures is the premiere area arts organization that is housed on a University campus. As an organization, Arts & Lectures aims not only entertain audiences, but to educate and inspire them as well.
In 2020–21, UCSB Arts & Lectures dug deep into systemic racism with its acclaimed Race to Justice series. This unique and timely program highlighted a need for deeper conversations about equity across a variety of other social justice and diversity issues. Inspired to keep this important conversation going in our community, A&L is now widening the scope for its 2021–2022 season to look at injustices in a broader context and expand campus connections with Justice For All.
UCSB Arts and Lectures’ educational engagement programs provide internationally recognized arts and speakers as educators to K-12 students, university students, and our own community of lifelong learners. When these talented individuals enter the lives of students, they bring a unique opportunity to relate academics to current events and artistic trends from the world stage. UCSB Arts and Lectures engagement programs provide free educational activities to over 400,000 students with partnerships on campus, in schools, and in the community through:
- Assemblies in elementary and secondary schools
- After-school workshops and conversations with youth
- Assemblies for incarcerated youth
- Meet-the-artist sessions on and off-campus
- Panel discussions with artists and University scholars
- Lectures and demonstrations in University classes
- Technique classes for students of all ages
- Coaching for advanced students
- Social events and meetings with student groups and classes
- Post-show Q&A sessions with audiences of all ages
- Virtual presentations to classrooms throughout Southern California
- No-cost tickets to public events for students, their families and teachers
- Free family performances in underserved neighborhoods
UCSB Arts & Lectures engages with thought leaders, creative problem solvers and arts visionaries, to offer programs that CREATE HOPE. Arts & Lectures’ programs inspire human connection, bridge our partisan divides, promote emotional well-being, joy and compassion, and envision positive change.
Q: What is one best kept secret or fun fact about your nonprofit that not everyone knows?
A: During the COVID pandemic, UCSB Arts and Lectures was able to expand it’s educational engagement programs to reach over 400,000 K-12 and university classrooms students through virtual learning platforms.
Q: How does the work of your nonprofit get communicated to the public?
A: UCSB Arts and Lectures uses an integrated communications model to reach diverse audiences by leveraging all available media- including print, radio, direct mail, email, social media, and digital displays. A &L also maintains strong community partnerships.
Q: Can you tell us one short-term goal AND one long-term goal that your nonprofit has for the next year?
A: Arts & Lectures goal for the 2021–2022 season is to provide a full breadth of programming that fulfills our mission to Educate, Entertain and Inspire. This goal encompasses a breadth of topics such as the Justice for All series, which looks at a widened scope of inequities in American society, and our popular Speaking with Pico series, which brings thoughtful insight from authors and humanitarians through the exceptional interviewing skills of Pico Iyer, to an expansive celebration of music and dance with such greats as My Bluegrass Heart, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Joshua Bell, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Joffrey Ballet.
UCSB Arts & Lectures long-term goal is to continue to present programs that reflects the importance of creating hope in our community and in the wider world that is, in many ways, coming back to life. While so much has changed over the past year and the path forward still holds many challenges, Arts & Lectures remains deeply committed to bringing hope to our campus and community.
Click here to support UCSB Arts & Lectures mission to educate, entertain and inspire.
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