Arts

Amongst the wonderful cultural institutions accessible to the public at UCLA is The Fowler Museum, with a mission to explore global arts and cultures, emphasizing Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Indigenous Americas—past and present. One of three public art spaces (also CAP UCLA and Hammer Museum) of the School of the Arts and Architecture at UCLA, the museum is open Wednesday through Sunday and admission is free. Opening April 12 through January 2027, Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines, immerses visitors in the stunning world created over generations by the Ifugao of northern Luzon in the Philippines, where they have transformed steep mountainsides into rice terraces—astonishing feats of engineering that are also sacred landscapes shaped by ritual, community, and a profound connection to land.  Works of art including carved guardians, ritual bowls, woven blankets, farming tools, reveal how sustenance and spirituality are entwined, and how generosity, labor, and environmental care nurture Ifugao life. Recognized by UNESCO for embodying ancestral knowledge and sustainable practices, the terraces remain enduring testaments to human ingenuity and ecological balance. They are not monuments to the past, but living sites where memory, work, and spirit continue to converge. The exhibit comes alive further through evocative soundscapes and video installations. Visitors to the Fowler should also check out Cosmic Provenance, a commissioned installation by artist Isabella Kelly-Ramirez to commemorate the Fowler’s 60th Anniversary in 2023. This radiant image features over 100 artworks from the Fowler’s permanent collection, each piece digitally photographed, hand-cut and placed into the collage before it was blown up to its monumental size.

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As part of its 40th anniversary season, the Parson’s Dance Project arrives at BroadStage in Santa Monica April 18 and 19. Founded in 1985 by artistic director and choreographer David Parsons, the Parson’s Dance Project has become known for its energized, athletic, and joyous style. During its engagement at BroadStage, the celebrated contemporary dance company presents a program that includes three pieces from the company’s extensive repertoire.

Juke is an homage to the genius of jazz great Miles Davis choreographed by Jamar Roberts. Set to “Spanish Key” from Davis’ masterpiece, Bitches Brew, Juke recreates the “juke joints” where many Black Americans during the Jim Crow era would congregate to hear music without white supervision.

Nascimento was choreographed by David Parsons in 1990 to the music of Milton Nascimento, one of Brazil’s most celebrated contemporary musicians and composers. An exuberant high-energy piece, Nascimento has been described as a “happy gathering of people celebrating being alive” featuring quick footwork, complex spatial patterns, and athletic, joyful movement.

The Road, a newer work choreographed by David Parsons in 2021, is set to the music of Yusef/Cat Stevens. Athletic and uplifting, The Road has become a staple for the company and is set to such iconic Stevens’ songs as “Peace Train,” “Trouble,” “Tea for the Tillerman,” and “On the Road to Find Out”. The choreography emphasizes travel, with dancers frequently traversing the stage from right to left, symbolizing the continuous flow of a life journey.

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Drama. The supernatural. Vengeance, forgiveness, and love. Thematically, Giselle has it all. In a city that thrives on extreme entertainment, it is fitting that LA Ballet (LAB), under the direction of Artistic Director Melissa Barak, closes out the 2025-2026 season with four performances of this ultra-classic, timeless ballet. 

Considered a masterpiece of ballet’s Romantic Era (mid-1800s), Giselle is a haunting story that is famous for contributing to the style of classical ballet as we know it – lead female dancers, dancing on pointe, and intense emotionality. The story is based on a Slavic folk tale; Giselle is an innocent girl seduced by a man who is secretly a nobleman and engaged to another girl. Upon learning of his lies, Giselle goes mad (onstage) and dies of heartbreak. 

That’s not the end of the story. The second act involves vengeful spirits who force bad men to dance to their deaths. The ghost-Giselle’s enduring love for the nobleman saves him, even as she returns to her grave. This role is a demanding one for the principal dancer; she must have technical expertise and the ability to act with complexity. Companies usually rotate who dances Giselle over a series of performances. 

LAB is the longest-lived and only professional ballet company in our city’s history, celebrating its 20th anniversary. Giselle is a perfect excuse to welcome the company for its debut at the Ahmanson Theatre. 

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Bruce Weber defined fashion imagery in the 1970s and 1980s, creating photo campaigns for magazines and for lifestyle brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren. His style has been known for its “All American” aesthetic employing vitality, rugged nature and soft lighting. He features everyday people and snapshots of life, and evokes sensuality and emotion. 

Post-fashion Weber pushed his endeavors to video, directing commercials, music videos and documentaries (Let’s Get Lost, about jazz musician Chet Baker), and books of his works, recently ‘My Education’ published by Taschen. He continues to be prolific at 80. 

The relationship between Bruce Weber and the Fahey/Klein Gallery is one of the most enduring partnerships in the Los Angeles photography scene. Since 1991, Fahey/Klein has been the primary West Coast home for Weber’s fine art photography, helping transition his work from the commercial pages of Vogue and GQ to the walls of major art collections.

This new exhibit features a curated selection of black-and-white portraits that bridge the gap between celebrity culture and everyday humanity. Whether capturing world-renowned athletes, legendary actors, or friends, Weber employs his signature naturalistic style. The show, titled after the classic blues ballad, takes us into his commercial and artistic world, and into his family and personal life, dating back to his childhood in Pennsylvania. April 9 – June 6 2026.

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