The Art of Change UCSC Arts Division

During March of 2020 students at UC Santa Cruz had to suddenly leave campus due to state county regulations regarding the spread of COVID-19.

In this episode Interim Dean of the Arts Division Professor Ted Warburton invites the Art of Change guest host, Lyle Troxell, back to UC Santa Cruz to have conversations with UCSC Arts Division faculty members to talk about their various arts practices. Ted and Lyle talk a bit about Ted's dance and choreography research and the launch of this podcast.

Game designer, conceptual artist, and protester Professor A.M. Darke shares stories of her work around race, identity, gender (including Kanye West), and even a bit of joy for dungeons and dragons. Guest host Lyle Troxell also chats with her about the recent UCSC graduate strike and her support of the students.

Internationally renowned filmmaker and installation artist, Isaac Julien, Distinguished Professor, talks with guest host Lyle Troxell about his multi-screen film installations and photographs and how he incorporates different artistic disciplines to create poetic and unique visual language. His 1989 documentary-drama exploring author Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance titled "Looking for Langston" garnered Julien a cult following while his 1991 debut feature "Young Soul Rebels" won the Semaine de la Critique prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Irwin 2020: Collective Solitude exhibition has had to go virtual this year due to continued COVID-19 restrictions, and the outstanding, award student artists talk about the challenges of not only doing their work in isolation, but also coming together to produce a virtual show using a 3D tool called SketchUp to create a virtual gallery experience.

Rachel Nelson, PhD, talks with guest host Lyle Troxell about her artistic journey that has led her to become the interim director of UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS). Nelson also teaches in the UCSC’s History of Art and Visual Culture department (HAVC). Currently, Nelson is co-curating a multi-sited group exhibition, Barring Freedom, engaging art, prisons, and justice, which will be shown bi-coastally in New York City, San José, and Santa Cruz.