UCSB Arts & Lectures

UCSB Bldg 402
Santa Barbara, CA

Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. This nationally recognized, award-winning program brings exceptional cultural and artistic experiences to Santa Barbara with lively and varied programming featuring world-class performing artists and big thinkers.

A&L annually presents more than a hundred events, ranging from concerts, dance and theater performances to talks by groundbreaking authors, comedy shows and film series at UC Santa Barbara and area venues. Past A&L luminaries have included cellist Yo-Yo Ma, author/historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, graphic novelist Neil Gaiman, filmmaker Ken Burns, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, poet Mary Oliver and many more.

With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” Arts & Lectures also offers an exciting array of educational outreach programs for local students and the greater community. A&L hosts master classes, open rehearsals, lecture-demonstrations and classroom discussions with visiting artists and speakers at UCSB, as well as local elementary and high schools. From kindergarten through college, students have the opportunity to learn and be inspired by artists and intellectuals at the top of their fields.

As part of its outreach efforts, A&L participates in ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara!, a unique collaboration between Arts & Lectures, the Marjorie Luke Theatre, Isla Vista Youth Projects, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts & Education Center. ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara! presents the music, dance, theater and folklore of Latin America in free events for youths and families throughout Santa Barbara County, bringing exciting cultural experiences to neighborhood venues.

Visit A&L’s website and social media pages above to learn about who’s appearing this season!

UCSB Arts & Lectures

UCSB Bldg 402
Santa Barbara, CA 92106

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Special Events









Leila Josefowicz
Time: Location: UCSB Arts & Lectures

An invaluable advocate for living composers, Leila Josefowicz has premiered dozens of new works for violin including concertos written…






Evan Osnos
Time: Location: UCSB Arts & Lectures

Two Superpowers: Navigating China and America in the New Age of Uncertainty Starbucks is opening a new store in China every 15 hours and…



Kronos Quartet
Time: Location: UCSB Arts & Lectures

For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has challenged and reimagined what a string quartet can be, centering its work around…


Suzanne Simard
Time: Location: UCSB Arts & Lectures

As the world’s foremost forest ecologist, Suzanne Simard has reshaped the way we understand the life and growth of plants. In her…


Ephrat Asherie Dance
Time: Location: UCSB Arts & Lectures

Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie, a New York-based b-girl with extensive training in ballet and modern dance, returns to reveal and…


Bruce Liu
Time: Location: Music Academy

Following his win at the Chopin International Piano Competition in 2021, Bruce Liu experienced a star-is-born moment at London’s…