UCLA PRESENTS THE BEST in arts and culture, community events, sports and entertainment. From fabulous film screenings and amazing art exhibitions, December has a number of unique experiences to offer. For more UCLA events, visit community.ucla.edu.
DECEMBER 6 | 2 P.M.
Surrealism & Antifascism: A Symposium from the UCLA Center for Performance Studies
This off-campus symposium brings together artists, scholars, UCLA students and the public to explore how to use avant-garde art to resist systems of domination and imagine new futures. It’s a broad and daunting mission, but one the UCLA Center for Performance Studies, the UCLA Center for the Study of Women, the Surrealist Study Group and the Philosophical Research Society are prepared to tackle. The day starts with a panel titled “Surrealist Histories Rewritten,” featuring California-based scholars and artists who will discuss how their Surrealist work contributes to their respective communities’ efforts against fascism. Among the panelists is L.A. native Lezley Saar, daughter of artist Betye Saar ’47, who will discuss how she creates mixed media in response to socioeconomic inequities. This event takes place at the Philosophical Research Society’s campus in Los Feliz at 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard. Tickets to this event are available for $10 here.
DECEMBER 1–8
Herb Alpert School of Music Concert Series
After 10 weeks of playing for each other, students and faculty from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music are finally ready to perform for you. While some students have composed a performance concluding their 10-week course, others hail from campuswide extracurricular or professional symphonies, orchestras, ensembles and bands. The finals week series kicks off with the UCLA flute studio, which will perform an evening of classical Baroque masterworks on December 1. On the same night, the UCLA Choral Studies Fall Concert singers will perform winter and holiday music. The series concludes on December 8 with a holiday show from the UCLA Tuba and Euphonium Studio. In between, you can expect a variety of performances, ranging from woodwind chamber music to guitar ensembles and recitals based on oral storytelling and “vocal literature.” All shows are free and take place at campus venues; check the schedule below (or at the school of music event calendar) and attend the shows of your choice.
December 1 at 6 p.m.: UCLA Flute Studio Goes Baroque
December 1 at 8 p.m.: UCLA Choral Studies Fall Concert
December 2 at 6 p.m.: Fall Woodwind Chamber Concert
December 3 at 8 p.m.: UCLA Symphony
December 4 at 7 p.m.: UCLA Camarades; chamber music by the String Department
December 5 at 1 p.m.: Advanced Vocal Literature & Diction Class Recital
December 5 at 5 p.m.: uclaFLUX Fall Concert; chamber music from the 20th and 21st centuries
December 5 at 8 p.m.: UCLA Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band
December 6 at 8 p.m.: UCLA Philharmonia Performs Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony
December 7 at 6 p.m.: Guitar Ensemble and Studio Recital
December 8 at 7 p.m.: Happy Holidays with the UCLA Tuba and Euphonium Studio!
DECEMBER 7 | 11 A.M.
Halloween and spooky season may be in the rearview mirror, but this winter is still utterly wicked. Last month saw the release of the long-anticipated Wicked: For Good, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. If you’re looking for more witchy content or just want to (re)experience a cinematic classic, look no further than the 1978 musical fantasy The Wiz. Based on the 1974 Broadway musical of the same title (which is based on the 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), this interpretation retains all of the story’s original magic spun by a jaw-dropping cast (including Diana Ross and Michael Jackson). See the spectacular set dressing and vibrant vocals on the big screen, courtesy of the UCLA Film & TV Archive. No RSVP required; just come to the Hammer Museum at UCLA’s Billy Wilder Theater.
DECEMBER 11 | 8 P.M.
Inspired by sci-fi author Octavia E. Butler’s notions of humanness in her Parable Series, the choreographer-writer-composer d. Sabela grimes breathes life into Butler’s professional and personal writings. This performance embodies the struggles, hopes and transformations of Lauren Oya Olamina, the protagonist in Butler’s Parable Series and a recurring thematic character across Butler’s Afrofuturist oeuvre. Lauren is the daughter of a reverend and a drug-addicted mother; when her community crumbles, Lauren struggles with her faith, her disability and her Blackness before seeking to found an entirely new religion called Earthseed. In Parable of Portals, grimes and his collaborators dance out Lauren’s journey from birth to Earthseed, exploring themes of survival, resilience and community. This performance is part of Mapping Los Angeles from the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance. Get your tickets now and come to the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center in Mid-City to start your own journey in mapping L.A.
DECEMBER 12–14
Los Angeles Ballet at Royce Hall: The Nutcracker
Even if Royce Hall won’t be decked with boughs of holly and mistletoe, a dash of Christmas magic is still coming to campus this holiday season. The Los Angeles Ballet fastidiously prepares for its edition of The Nutcracker every year, performing Tchaikovsky’s original masterpiece with a Southern California twist. Journey with young Clara and her beloved Nutcracker as they battle the Mouse King, traveling from an elegant Spanish-style Hancock Park home to the snowy slopes of Big Bear to the Venice archways and the moonlit Pacific Ocean. The Los Angeles Ballet opens its run of The Nutcracker at Royce Hall before moving on to perform at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater. Don’t miss Royce Hall’s otherworldly transformation into the Land of Snow and the Palace of the Dolls — get your tickets here.
DECEMBER 20 | 7 P.M.
25th Anniversary of Love & Basketball with Gina Prince-Bythewood
When Gina Prince-Bythewood ’91 made her directorial debut with her 2000 romantic sports drama Love & Basketball, she had no idea it would reach cult-classic status. Her nuanced depiction of balancing success and romance created a loyal millennial following and a new ethos: belief in the power of love and basketball. Even 25 years later, the film’s plot still feels fresh: two young Angeleno basketball players, Monica and Quincy, fight to reach their dreams from childhood to adulthood — while trying not to lose each other in the process. Though Prince-Bythewood grew up along California’s Central Coast, her time as a Bruin shines through the film’s celebration of Los Angeles and its distinct basketball culture; she shouts out the Lakers, Clippers, Crenshaw High and University of Southern California teams to the tunes of Al Green and Chaka Khan.
To celebrate 25 years of love and basketball in Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Pictures is screening the film at its David Geffen Theater, complete with an exclusive in-person discussion and Q&A with Prince-Bythewood. Tickets start at just $5.
DECEMBER 20–MAY 17
Five Centuries of Works on Paper: The Grunwald Center Turns 70
In 1956, Los Angeles collector Fred Grunwald gifted UCLA with a series of prints so extraordinary, UCLA established the Grunwald Center for Graphic Arts. Since then, the Grunwald Center has evolved into one of the nation’s foremost collections of works on paper, and its trove has expanded to include more than 45,000 of the world’s most treasured prints, drawings, photographs and artists’ books dating back to the Renaissance. Since 1994, these paper collections have called the Hammer Museum home, with curators constantly working to make as many of the prints as viewable and accessible as possible. This new exhibition, Five Centuries of Works on Paper, marks the 70th anniversary of the Grunwald Center. The exhibition celebrates the history of this unique collection and will feature a series of works reflecting the breadth and diversity of the Hammer Museum’s holdings. The exhibit will feature in excess of 100 works from more than 90 artists, including Rembrandt, Kandinsky, Picasso, Ansel Adams, Ruth Asawa and David Hockney. Whether you’re a graphic arts aficionado or just looking for an indoor activity to escape the winter weather, this collection is the perfect excuse to visit the Hammer. This exhibition, like all Hammer activities, is completely free with no reservation required.
DECEMBER 6 | 3 P.M.
Bruins basketball is back in full swing. Don’t miss the Big Ten home opener as UCLA takes on a fellow former Pac-12 team, the University of Oregon Ducks. Saturday’s matchup promises more than just great on-court action, though: Come before the 3 p.m. tipoff for food trucks along the south patio, serving everything from poke bowls to Italian ices. Then wait for an electric halftime performance from the Bruin groups you love, as well as the Ready Go Dog squad, a team of pups who can catch crosscourt frisbee tosses like you’ve never seen before. Tickets here.
DECEMBER 13 | 1 P.M.
Each year before entering the regular season, the almighty flipping and twisting Bruins perform an exhibition show to display their skills, get a feel for the Pauley Pavilion floor and get everyone excited for another successful year. There are no scores or formal competition; instead, the team’s playlists flood Pauley during this preseason “scrimmage.” You’ll see performances across disciplines (vault, bars, beam and floor) from nearly every gymnast on the team in a relaxed environment that allows their personalities to shine. Still not convinced? No tickets are required for Meet the Bruins, so just show up at Pauley ready to be wowed.
THROUGHOUT DECEMBER
Don’t miss your favorite Bruin student-athletes — wherever you are. Bruin faithful around the world gather at bars, restaurants and other locations to watch UCLA games and sporting events. Visit the Bruin watch party page to find a gathering near you and come root for your favorite team alongside fellow Bruins fans.
DECEMBER 15 | 2:30 P.M.
Bruins in NYC: Networking Mixer and AI Alumni Panel
Are you a Big Apple Bruin? Join the UCLA Alumni Association, in collaboration with partners across UCLA, as they bring Bruins together to network and learn about the latest in artificial intelligence advancements. Come to The Dean in Midtown for a night of networking and appetizers as you strengthen your professional network with alumni working in a variety of industries. Get an overview of AI, learn about agentic AI and find out how AI systems apply to industries like technology, medicine and even the arts. No ticket needed.
