UCLA PRESENTS THE BEST in arts and culture, community events, sports and entertainment. From film screenings to art exhibits, explore the unique and interesting experiences May offers. For more UCLA events, visit community.ucla.edu.
MAY 1 | 1 P.M.
UCLA Library Preservation & Conservation Open House
Behind the stacks lies a whole other world. Come to historic Powell Library to see it via UCLA’s preservation at work in an exclusive 30-minute guided tour through the library’s hidden spaces. Learn how our librarians are saving audiovisual, book and paper materials every day — and pick up some free swag on your way out. RSVP to reserve your spot and come to Room 20 on the ground floor of Powell Library to see the how the real work of preservation gets done.
MAY 3 | 8 P.M.
Join the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music for the first performance of spring quarter! The UCLA Wind Ensemble is the premier wind band at UCLA, made up of 50 graduate and undergraduate students. Hear their original compositions and interpretations of beloved classics as they explore a range of musical viewpoints. No tickets required for this free show at Schoenberg Hall. Can’t make it? Watch the livestream and enjoy the next generation of professional players, artists, teachers, composers and directors virtually.
MAY 9 | 7:30 P.M.
War Game: Los Angeles Premiere
As they look toward the 2024 election, filmmakers Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber have some “what ifs.” What if another post-election coup is attempted, like the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection? What if this time it were to succeed? Would it signal the death of democracy?
To prepare for all of these “what ifs,” the nonpartisan and nonprofit foundation Vet Voice conducted a war game, an elaborate future-set coup simulation to identify the weak spots and how to prepare for another attempted insurrection. Moss and Gerber follow a bipartisan group of U.S. defense, intelligence and elected policymakers as they participate in this unscripted role-play exercise; like actors in a thriller but with profound real-world stakes, they only have six hours to save democracy.
For the Los Angeles premiere of the resulting film, War Game, the Hammer Forum will gather politicians, veterans and legal scholars to discuss the pending threat of American democracy. Come to the Hammer Museum at UCLA to see a special pre-release screening of the 2024 Sundance Official Selection Documentary Film and stay for a discussion with the directors and film participants, including former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp and Elizabeth Neumann, former deputy chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security.
Admission to this special event — and the rest of the Hammer Museum — is free. Seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
MAY 10 | 7:30 P.M.
The World of Dong Kingman and Golden Gate Girls
The UCLA Film & Television Archive presents The World of Dong Kingman (1953) and Golden Gate Girls (2013), a double feature centered on the Asian American experience. Combining intricate filmography, classical Chinese music and contrasting depictions between New York City and Hong Kong, see how director James Wong Howe documents the legendary Chinese American watercolor artist Dong Kingman. Then see Golden Gate Girls by S. Louisa Wei as she delves into the life of Esther Eng, one of the few Asian American female directors and an openly gay woman in the 1930s. Bringing lost memories, cross-cultural storytelling and underappreciated art to light, these documentaries are not just the perfect films for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, but also for understanding the importance of artist portrayal and legacy. Tickets to this event are free; seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
THROUGH MAY 12
Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s–1970s
It’s your last chance to see the Hammer Museum’s exhibit, Only the Young. Featuring unprecedented insight into a moment in Korea where artists took a stance against limitation, the exhibition displays innovative and provocative practices that confront cultural transition, colonial pasts, rapid industrialization and influx of foreign goods. To see the highlights of the nearly 80 works and archival materials, come to an exhibition tour led by Hammer educators and hear a conservation-based perspective on this monumental time in Korean art and expression. Admission to the Hammer and its special events are free.
MAY 21 | 8 P.M.
Photoplay Music with Piano Duo HOCKET
Take a trip back to the early days of Hollywood, when film was silent and pianos were loud. The piano Duo HOCKET, Sarah Gibson and Thomas Kotcheff, play newly commissioned works for classic silent films as part of their new project Photoplay Music: New Works for the Silent Film Era. HOCKET will feature pieces by today’s composers (Ian Dicke, José Martínez and Gemma Peacocke) who have reimagined soundtracks for beloved silent films, referencing old film screenings while maintaining the modernity of today’s traditional classical concerts. Tickets for this show at the UCLA Nimoy Theater are available here.
APRIL 30–MAY 4
Men’s Volleyball NCAA Championships
Last year, the Bruins won their 20th national title; this year, you can watch them win it again. The Bruins are the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament in Long Beach. See the quarterfinals (April 30 at 2 P.M.), the semifinals (May 2 at 6:30 P.M. and 9:30 P.M.) and the final match (May 4 at 5 P.M.). Get tickets to watch them in person at Cal State Long Beach’s Walter Pyramid or stream the matches online.
MAY 3 | 6 P.M.
See the Bruins take on the Titans of Cal State Fullerton at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium. In one of the last games of the year, UCLA is going major league by taking their usual game play to a professional stadium. General admission tickets are only $25 and include a voucher for one ticket to a select 2024 Angels home game. Get your tickets to this special away game — and go Bruins!
MAY 16–18
It’s the last regular season series and last home game in Jackie Robinson Stadium for the 2024 season. Get your tickets, a pack of peanuts and maybe even some Cracker Jacks to watch the Bruins take on the Cardinal and celebrate another great season of UCLA baseball.
MAY 1 | NOON
Three Tools to Thrive as a First-Gen Professional with Paula Amezola, M.P.H. ’02
Explore actionable practices to flourish in our ever-evolving workforce landscape. In this Zoom workshop, first-generation participants will explore three evidence-based strategies essential for navigating the complexities of being first-gen professional trailblazers; assessing awareness, practicing positivity and shifting to a resilient mindset, strategies that collectively serve as a blueprint for first-gen professionals to liberate themselves from constraints, overcome obstacles and thrive in their professional journey. RSVP for free here.
MAY 2 | 4 P.M.
UCLA Alumni Town Hall with Chancellor Gene Block
Join Chancellor Block for this special UCLA Alumni Town Hall. Since assuming office in 2007, Chancellor Block has steadfastly guided UCLA into an era of unparalleled academic achievement. This period has been underscored by significant milestones, earning UCLA a consecutive seven-year recognition as the top public university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
In his 17th and final year in office, Chancellor Block is preparing to conclude his tenure this summer and redirect his focus toward academic research. All Bruins are invited to this last town hall with the outgoing chancellor as he sits down with UCLA Alumni Association President-elect Paco Retana ’87, M.S.W. ’90 to offer reflections on his tenure, perspectives on broader issues in higher education and updates on the current state and expansion of UCLA. RSVP to this Zoom meeting here.
MAY 8–10
Aurora to Honor the Best of Humanity in Los Angeles
The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative will host a special series of events from May 8–10 in the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. These events, including the 2024 Aurora Prize Ceremony and the Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum, are being organized in partnership with the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA.
The 2024 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity Laureate will be announced during the Aurora Prize Ceremony, with the winner selected from the Aurora Humanitarians shortlisted in September 2023. The $1 million prize and award will enable the laureate to continue the cycle of giving and supporting grassroots humanitarians and organizations that give a second chance to people in need.
The Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum and other events will bring together leading experts in the field for insightful discussions on a range of topics including gender justice, women’s empowerment, the global health crisis and education. RSVP here.
MAY 14 | 7 P.M.
2024 Marty Sklar My Last Lecture Honoring Andrea Ghez
Join the Alumni Scholars Club and Alumni Association as they honor this year’s Marty Sklar “My Last Lecture” recipient, Andrea Ghez. The Alumni Scholars Club hosts an award ceremony where the winning professor delivers an inspiring lecture on the question posed to the original lecturers more than 60 years ago: What would you tell your audience if you had but one lecture to give — your last lecture on this earth?
More than 60 years ago, notable UCLA professors were given the chance to put all of their life lessons and advice for students into one “last lecture.” In 2010, the Alumni Scholars Club brought back this tradition through the My Last Lecture Award, established to honor a UCLA professor who is an inspiration to students. This year’s lecturer is Ghez, recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics, MacArthur Fellow and the Lauren B. Leichtman & Arthur E. Levine Professor of Astrophysics at UCLA. Tickets to hear Ghez’s “last lecture on earth” (and it will be a good one) and her exploration of the Milky Way are free.
MAY 16 | 6 P.M.
Since 2023, the Bruin Business 100 has recognized exceptional UCLA Alumni entrepreneurs, founders, owners and visionaries who have inspired innovation and expanded the Bruin network. This year, the 2024 Bruin Business 100 Recipients will be celebrated as we continue to extend our appreciation. Recipients, campus partners and other distinguished guests will be invited for an evening of community, refreshments and beverages at the James West Alumni Center. Come celebrate our outstanding Bruin entrepreneurship community.
