Events

Rules Are Not Neutral: Play As Sense-Making, Acts Of Resistance, And Imagining Otherwise
2026-06-01 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-29 12:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, 11 Cowell Service Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
This exhibition brings together a range of analog games – including board, card, role-playing, and other participatory works – that engage social and political realities in different ways. The works span widely circulated commercial games to independently produced projects, one-of-a-kind artworks by artists, faculty, alumni, and students, and materials drawn from UC Santa Cruz Special Collections and Archives.
In part, the exhibition challenges the persistent assumption that games and play are detached from social and political life. On the contrary, game designers and artists across diverse perspectives and positions have long used play to engage questions of social systems, lived experience, and how power operates. The works are encountered in multiple ways: as objects, as systems, as artworks, and as experiences that unfold unpredictably through interaction.
Ultimately, the exhibition asks us to consider not only how games represent the world, but how they shape our engagement with it – and how through play, the social and political systems they model might be understood, challenged, and reimagined.
“The imagination is an instrument of change.”
– Ursula K. Le Guin, author
Gallery reception: May 15, 2026 — 1 to 4pm.
Art Friday is available every Friday from noon to 4pm.

Book Talk: Learning to Lead with Dr. Veronica Terriquez
2026-06-01 12:00 - 13:30 | Rachel Carson College Red Room
The Center for Labor and Community and UCSC Sociology Department welcome Dr. Veronica Terriquez for a discussion on her recently published book, Learning to Lead: Youth Organizing in Immigrant Communities. The event will take place on Monday, June 1 at 12pm at the Rachel Carson Red Room.
Children of immigrants make up more than one in four people in the United States under the age of thirty. Amid today’s multipronged attacks on immigrant communities and growing threats to democratic participation, these young people often encounter significant barriers to political participation. Despite these challenges, some children of immigrants and refugees engage in nonpartisan grassroots campaigns, addressing issues such as education, health, environmental justice, immigrant rights, housing, and voting rights. In Learning to Lead, sociologist Veronica Terriquez examines how youth organizing groups facilitate the civic and political engagement of low-income, second-generation immigrant adolescents, enabling them to collectively exercise power alongside their non-immigrant peers and adult allies.
About the Author
Dr. Veronica Terriquez is professor of urban planning, Chicana/o studies, and Central American studies at UCLA and serves as the director of the Chicano Studies Research Center. A sociologist by training, her research focuses on social inequality, civic engagement, health, and youth transitions to adulthood among Latinx and other diverse populations. She has extensive experience working with a broad range of community stakeholders, having partnered with youth, labor, arts, education, health and local government institutions. She is an expert in participatory action research (PAR), and has co-authored with colleagues and students over forty widely disseminated research reports on labor, community, and youth organizing. In 2021, she received the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education University Faculty Award and the American Sociological Association Award for Public Sociology in International Migration.

The Deep Read – A Conversation with Merlin Sheldrake
2026-05-31 16:00 | Upper Quarry Amphitheater, 15 McLaughlin Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join us for a free, public conversation with British mycologist and author, Merlin Sheldrake, at UC Santa Cruz’s Quarry Amphitheater on May 31, 2026. He’ll discuss his New York Times bestseller, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make our Worlds, Change our Minds, and Shape our Futures with Associate Professor of History Benjamin Breen and the Deep Read community. Together, we’ll explore the dependence of all life—human, plant, animal, and beyond—on fungal networks and how the resulting interconnections provoke us to reconsider our understanding of existence, identity, intelligence, and more.

The Deep Read is an annual program of The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz made possible through the generous support of the Helen and Will Webster Foundation. We invite curious minds to think deeply about books and the most pressing issues of our contemporary moment.

UCSC Opera—Orpheus in the Underworld
2026-05-31 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-29 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
A rollicking and irreverent spoof of the Orpheus myth, Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld is most famous as the origin of the “gallop infernal”—the music now strongly associated with the can-can dance. This operetta follows the unhappy (and unfaithful) union of Orpheus and Eurydice, as the latter’s love affair with the god of the underworld results in Eurydice relocating to hell. Cowed by Public Opinion, Orpheus makes an attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld, but Jupiter’s involvement, along with many of the other gods of Olympus, complicates matters further.
The UCSC Orchestra ensemble and voice students are conducted by Bruce Kiesling, with direction by Sheila Willey.
Costumes by Brooke Jennings, wigs by Sharon Ridge, and set/lighting design by David Dunning.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at the UCSC Music Center Recital Hall.
– General admission opera tickets available online through Eventbrite.
– Free for UCSC students (ticket required).
– Follow the Music Department on Eventbrite for notices and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Th., May 28, 7:30 p.m.
– Fr., May 29, 7:30 p.m.
– Sa., May 30, 7:30 p.m.
– Su., May 31, 3:00 p.m. matinee
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $11 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant.
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– UCSC affiliates must purchase their permits before arriving at the event in order to receive their discounted UCSC rate. Attendants will only sell the non-affiliate-priced permits.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles, directed by Kinan Valdez
2026-05-31 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-30 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-05-29 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-05-28 19:30 - 21:00 | Experimental Theater, Theater Arts Center, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Blending Euripides’ classic Medea with Mexican folklore, Luis Alfaro examines the tragedy behind America’s immigration system and the destiny of one family caught in its grip. Directed by Kinan Valdez.
Advisories

Content advisory: includes violence, adult language, mature themes, and mention of sexual violence
This presentation is an estimated 90 minutes with no intermission.
Seating is limited at this venue and is expected to reach full capacity.
Ticket holders not seated at least five minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat, and no refund will be issued.
Parking impacts may be significant on Fri-Sun during Week 2 of this production in Lot 126 due to other overlapping events expected to reach full capacity.

Admission

Attend in person at Theater Arts eXperimental Theater at UC Santa Cruz.
Free for UCSC undergrads (ticket required).
General admission “Pay What You Like” options for $10, $15, or $20.
Tickets issued online through Eventbrite only.
Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.

Parking

Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $11 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
UCSC affiliates must purchase their permits before arriving at the event in order to receive their discounted UCSC rate. Attendants will only sell the non-affiliate-priced permits.
More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services

Full Schedule of Events
This production includes seven performances over the course of two weeks, including the following dates/times:

Fri, May 22, 7:30 p.m.
Sat, May 23, 7:30 p.m.
Sun, May 24, 2:00 p.m. matinee
Thu, May 28, 7:30 p.m.
Fri, May 29, 7:30 p.m.
Sat, May 30, 7:30 p.m.
Sun, May 31, 2:00 p.m. matinee

This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Visualizing Abolition Screening Series: Beyond Access
2026-05-31 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
On view in the IAS Screening Room is a selection of short films curated by Visualizing Abolition Visiting Faculty Fellow Dr. Pooja Rangan.
Prisons deny and censor the access of those trapped inside them—to information, to intimacy, to community, to meaningful work, to nourishment of all kinds, and perhaps most cruelly, to care. This program assembles a series of films, including works by filmmakers incarcerated in California as well as others without that lived experience. Together, these works confront the debilitating impacts of these restrictions and reveal how the disabling logic of the prison is extended to other institutional spaces (the hospital, the university), turning access into a scarce commodity by enclosing what should be held in common. Questioning the carceral and state-sponsored productions of disability and accessibility, the short films together reveal the courage of people working despite limitations to produce collective access for one another, described simply and beautifully by disability justice activist Leah-Lakshmi Piepzna Samarasinha as “revolutionary love without charity.”
Thanh Tran
Dying in Prison, 2022
HD Video (color, sound), 3 minutes
Courtesy of the artist
Carolyn Lazard
Pre-Existing Condition, 2019
HD video (color, sound), 6 minutes
Courtesy of the artist and Trautwein Herleth3
Anthony Alejandrez
Another Rainy Day, 2023
Phone video (color, sound), 3 minutes
Courtesy of the artist
Jordan Lord
After…After… (Access), 2018
HD Video (color, sound), 16 minutes
Courtesy of the artist
Rahsaan “New York” Thomas
Friendly Signs, 2023
Video (color, sound) 21 minutes
Courtesy of Tommy Wickerd, Empowerment Ave & System Impact Media

Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences
2026-05-31 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-29 12:00 - 17:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
Visit the IAS, UCSC’s premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10–August 16, 2026 are three diverse and interdisciplinary shows: Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right, the first US solo exhibition by the Colombia-based artist and medical doctor; Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj, a site-specific and immersive exploration of the Haitian kreyol conception of rasanblaj; and Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies, a mixed-media exhibition emerging at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art.
The IAS Galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 pm – 5 pm. Admission is free to the public.
Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right
Libia Posada’s first solo exhibition in the United States features installations, sculptures, and drawings meticulously constructed from surgical instruments, gauze bandages, crutches, used books, and domestic picture frames. The new and existing works in the exhibition powerfully stitch together the personal, social, and political disorders and afflictions that currently trouble the world, from the wars that resonate across the globe to the violences of aging in US prisons.
Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins & Disentanglements
The internationally-lauded work of humanities professor Gina Athena Ulysse is on view as a premier Faculty Spotlight Exhibition. The site-specific installation, produced in community from things collected, found, purchased and donated, centers on the Haitian concept of rasanblaj, a form of assembly and collage that transcends the formal use of materials to draw together people, spirits, and ideas.
Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies
Collage is both a material practice and a structural interrogation in the Faculty Spotlight Exhibition artworks by literature professor Ronaldo V. Wilson. In video, painting, and installation, layers and folds conceal and reveal, delving into the experience, both bodily and emotive, of living in times of violence.

Arts Staff Live!
2026-05-30 14:00 - 19:00 | Digital Arts Research Center, 407 McHenry Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
With live bands, artisan crafts for sale, performances, and screenings, this all-day indoor/outdoor event showcases the hidden artistic talents of the Arts Division staff. More information to be announced. In the meantime, check out last year’s first annual Arts Staff Live! event here.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at the Digital Arts Research Center at UC Santa Cruz.
– FREE and open to the public.
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PARKING
– Parking via UCSC permit or ParkMobile
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Go Bananas! Carnival
2026-05-30 14:00 - 18:00 | Upper East Field
Get ready to turn the field yellow!
Presented by the Division of Student Affairs and Success Leadership and Involvement Team
Join us for the ultimate end-of-year bash as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Banana Slug as our official mascot. We’re transforming the East Field into a high-energy carnival packed with thrills, food, and slug pride.
The Fun Stuff

Thrills: Mechanical bull, bumper cars, zorb balls, dunk tank, rock climbing wall, and more!
Creativity: Face painting, airbrushing, caricature artist, hair tinsel, and a 360 photo booth to capture the memories.
Vibes: Live DJ sets and specially-themed treats from UCSC Catering.
Challenge: We want to see a sea of yellow—dress like a slug and help us “Turn the Field Yellow!”

Event Details

When: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: East Field
Admission: FREE for UCSC students (includes all attractions, activities, and UCSC Catering food & drinks!) Please note: there will be additional food for purchase from food trucks and pop-ups.

Questions? Contact involved@ucsc.edu for general inquiries or to request accessibility accommodations.

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You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Office Hours Under the Sea
2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
Join Ronaldo Wilson and special guests for a site-specific, endurance performance as part of there are no words, but melodies. The exhibition emerges at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art toshuttle between verbal and non-verbal forms of language, rendering the boundaries of identity and meaning slippery.
Drop in and visit Wilson’s office hours any time between 12pm and 5pm.
About the Artist:
Ronaldo V. Wilson is a poet, interdisciplinary artist, academic, and the author of Narrative of the Life of the Brown Boy and the White Man, winner of the Cave Canem Prize; Poems of the Black Object, winner of the Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry and the Asian American Literary Award in Poetry; Farther Traveler: Poetry, Prose, Other, and Lucy 72. His latest books are Carmelina: Figures and Virgil Kills: Stories. He is the editor of three special issues of hybrid and experimental work in Interim: A Journal of Poetry and Poetics; and Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora. He has shown work and performed most recently at the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics, and The Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard. The recipient of numerous fellowships, including Cave Canem, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MacDowell, and The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Wilson is Professor of Creative Writing and Literature at U.C. Santa Cruz, where he directs the Creative Writing Program, and serves on the core faculty of the Creative Critical PhD Program; principal faculty member of CRES (Critical Race and Ethnic Studies); and affiliate faculty member of DANM (Digital Arts and New Media).

Herbs and Tending the Inner Garden
2026-05-30 12:00 - 14:30 | UCSC Farm, 152 Farm Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The way to care for humans and gardens have lots of similarities. We will explore the realm of self care, health maintenance and disharmony management through the lens of herbal medicine and metaphors of organic garden management. This class will be an herb walk where we will visit common garden plants, “weeds” and medicinal plants and learn how to use them for our self care.

Younger Lagoon Reserve Tours
2026-05-30 10:30 - 12:00 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Younger Lagoon Reserve tours are free and open to the public. Space is limited to 18 participants. Call 831-459-3800 or sign-up online. Virtual tours are available online.

Berry U-Pick at the UCSC Farm
2026-05-30 09:00 - 12:00 | UCSC Farm, 152 Farm Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Come enjoy picking your own organic strawberries and/or blueberries at the campus farm! Our delicious, organic berries will be plentiful this spring and we hope you can come enjoy the bounty.
When: U-picks will take place on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm while supplies last. Blueberries will be available approximately through June, and strawberries will be available into the summer season. PLEASE NOTE that u-picks will not occur on Saturday, June 13 due to campus commencement ceremonies that will impact traffic and parking.
Where: Free parking will be available in the Hay Barn lot or lot 115/116 during u-pick hours. Please do not park in the dirt lot at the farm’s back gate. Please walk to the pinned location at the farm to pre-pay and collect your u-pick container(s). We will have directional signage displayed. There is one ADA parking spot on the farm. The UCSC Farm has uneven, hilly terrain. If you require accommodations to fully participate, please email agroecology@ucsc.edu and we will do our best to accommodate.
Payment: Credit card payments only (you will need a smartphone to scan a QR code and enter your card info manually).
Dogs are not allowed on the UC Santa Cruz campus (service animals are OK).

UCSC MEIP XXIII, May 29, 30, and 31st, at 7:00 PM in the Stevenson Event Center-Performances in French, Japanese and Spanish. FREE-ALL WELCOME
2026-05-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Stevenson Event Center, Stevenson Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
UCSC Free Performance Miriam Ellis International Playhouse

UCSC – STEVENSON EVENT CENTER (Stevenson College)

MEIP XXII
May 29, 30, and 31st, at 7:00 PM
Stevenson Event Center at UCSC

FREE STAGE PERFORMANCES IN FRENCH, JAPANESE, AND SPANISH WITH ENGLISH TITLES
FROM STUDENTS OF UCSC!
For its 23rd season, the Miriam Ellis International Playhouse will present fully-staged performances in French, Japanese, and Spanish, with English super-titles projected above the stage. The program will be directed by Language lecturers and performed by Language students.
French: Dur dur la torture (Pure Torture), written by the students, directed by Renée Cailloux.
Japanese: “きぼうのうた” (Song of Hope), directed by Naoko Yamamoto.
Spanish: “Noble campaña” (A Lofty Cause), Based on a short story by Gregorio López y Fuentes directed by Carolina Castillo-Trelles and Sandra Malone.
Event Location: Stevenson Event Center, UCSC – FREE
For more information, contact Renée Cailloux at meip@ucsc.edu

Making an Exoneree Showcase
2026-05-29 18:00 - 21:30 | Digital Arts Research Center, 407 McHenry Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Audiences are invited to Making an Exoneree, a reception and film screening featuring the premiere of five student-made short documentaries that reveal the facts—and falsehoods—of wrongful conviction cases from around the country. Over the Winter and Spring quarters, 15 UCSC undergraduate students in the Making an Exoneree course dedicated themselves to uncovering the truth about these cases. The final short films unravel the unjust convictions of Aaron Addison, Dennis Littleton, Ken Middleton, Frank Perkins, and Taunee Smith, who have spent a combined 126 years in prison.The students hope that by sharing these stories, they can help correct this injustice and bring innocent people home.
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ADVISORIES
– Mature themes or content, No intermission, Strong language.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– Attend in person or online (link to be announced).
– Reception at 6:00 p.m.
– Screenings at 7:00 p.m.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit or ParkMobile
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Productive Struggle & Study Skills
2026-05-29 13:00 - 13:45 | Academic Resources Center (ARC), 408 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
In this workshop, you will: Learn study strategies and why making it hard for yourself supports durable learning.
The Successful Slug Workshop series, hosted by Learning Support Services Peer Coaches, are open to all UCSC undergraduate students and focus on academic skills and tools to support your success as a student. At each workshop, you will be introduced to a topic, engage in active learning, be given resources to begin implementing the same day, and have an opportunity to learn more if you are interested.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Let's Talk
2026-05-29 11:00 - 12:00 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/8704358865?pwd=[REDACTED]
Need to talk? We’re here to listen! Drop in for a confidential chat with a professional counselor who can provide support, advice and information.
Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 635 182 8273
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Facilitator: Mitchell Rees, PhD (831) 459-2628

You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Let's Talk
2026-05-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Cantu Queer Center, Crown Lane, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Need to talk? We’re here to listen! Drop in for a confidential chat with a professional counselor who can provide support, advice and information.
Where: UCSC Cantú Queer Center, 633 Crown Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Facilitator: Dean Khambatta, LMFT (831) 459-5346
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Black on the Block
2026-05-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Crown Provost House, 660 Crown Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the African American Resource & Cultural Center every Thursday from 1–2 p.m., at the front of the Ethnic Resource Center for Black on the Block, a weekly tabling and engagement space.
Stop by to learn about campus resources, upcoming programs, and ways to get involved. It’s a casual, welcoming space to ask questions, make connections, and build community. All are welcome.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.
