Women’s History Month at UCLA spotlights artists, authors and advocates

This Women's History Month, Bruins can explore a campuswide lineup of conversations, performances and lectures that highlight the contributions and impact of women across communities and fields. From discussions of pioneering artists such as Ruth Asawa and Natori Shunsen to a staged reimagining of Jane Austen's "Emma," this year's programming reflects the range of scholarship, leadership and public engagement that UCLA supports and celebrates.

This calendar is just a sample of the programming the Bruin community offers throughout the year. Be sure to check out campus units such as the Center for the Study of Women | Barbra Streisand Center and the department of gender studies, as well as their affiliated faculty, for even more research, events and opportunities.

March 3, 4:30 p.m.
9th annual Robert U Nelson Lecture: Sarah Taylor Ellis

Listen to composer and scholar Sarah Taylor Ellis discuss her recent accomplishments and efforts to embrace the multiplicity of music theater as an art form. Ellis has been instrumental in a range of international projects, including an original musical for an inclusive theater in Berlin, an anthem for the Women's March on New York City, songs for a Shakespeare play at the United Kingdom's National Theatre and a critically acclaimed indie-folk musical adaptation of "Die Mitte der Welt."

Admission is free.

March 3 & 4
Student sustainable art exhibition

Student fashion organization Unravel at UCLA presents "Inherent Nectar: The Natural World," a winter gallery and reception in collaboration with UCLA Library's Bonnie Cashin Lecture Series. Inspired by everything from designer Bonnie Cashin to the mysterious world of bees, the exhibition invites viewers to rethink their environmental impact, consider nature as medicine and recognize the power of fashion to drive change. The exhibition will be up through March 4.

The event will take place in the Charles E. Young Research Library's conference room 11360. Admission is free.

March 4, 12:30 p.m.
Hammer Museum lunchtime art talk: Ruth Asawa

This March, learn more about the work of pioneering female artist Ruth Asawa as part of The Hammer Museum at UCLA's lunchtime program series. Asawa is known for her signature abstract wire sculptures and her work as an arts educator, helping establish the School of the Arts High School in San Francisco. Learn more about her journey and influence on society.

Admission is free.

March 5, 6 p.m.
Legacy of Bonnie Cashin

Learn about the life and legacy of Bonnie Cashin, a trailblazing fashion designer who was one of the first to popularize sportswear, leather and layering. Cashin is known for empowering modern women through functional, practical clothing, a legacy that has earned her three Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards and partnerships with major brands such as Hermès and Coach. Part of the UCLA Library Special Collections' biennial Bonnie Cashin Lecture Series, the talk, which includes a book signing and reception, will be led by Mellissa Huber, an associate curator in The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The event will take place in the Charles E. Young Research Library's conference room 11360.
Admission is free, but registration is required.

March 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, 8 p.m.
EMMA: No One But Herself

UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television presents a retelling of a Jane Austen classic directed by choreographer and UCLA alum Danielle Kay. "EMMA" follows the story of Emma Woodhouse as she explores whether the possibility of romance is worth the sacrifice of her independence in an adaptation by award-winning playwright Meghan Brown with music composed by Sarah Taylor Ellis.

Performances will take place at the Freud Playhouse on campus. Tickets must be purchased through the UCLA Central Ticket Office.

March 11, 2 p.m.
Impact of media narratives on gender and reproductive health

The UCLA Bixby Center welcomes Asha Dahya, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and founder of digital magazine GirlTalkHQ, in a seminar highlighting the Green Tide Rising Podcast, an eight-episode audio documentary series that shines a light on the accomplishments of the Green Wave reproductive rights movement in Latin America.

Space is limited. RSVP is required to attend.

March 12, 7:30 p.m.
"Some Favorite Writers" series: A discussion with Kiran Desai

Join a reading and discussion with Booker Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award - winning author Kiran Desai and UCLA professor of English Mona Simpson. The event, organized by the department in collaboration with the Hammer Museum at UCLA, focuses on Desai's newest novel, "The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny," which tells the story of two young people whose destinies cross continents and time.

Admission to the Hammer Museum is free.

March 16, 2 p.m.
Online Bilingual Lecture Series: Pamela Karimi

Cornell University scholar and author Pamela Karimi will give a lecture presented by the UCLA Iranian studies program and the Center for Near Eastern Studies. Karimi will be presenting a talk based on her most recent book, "Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran," which traces a movement catalyzed by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a woman in her early 20s who died while in Guidance Patrol custody; the role of creative work in protest movements; and the relationship between public spaces and women's bodies. The program will be in English and Persian.

Admission is free, but registration is required.

March 17, 5 p.m.
UCLA Academic Advancement Program's leadership welcome: Jonli Tunstall

Join the UCLA AAP alumni network's celebration of the appointment of Jonli Tunstall as the first woman to lead the student success program in its more than 50-year history. Tunstall has championed underrepresented undergraduate students as an educator and administrative leader at UCLA for over 18 years. The UCLA alumna is also the founder of the Sister to Sister Institute, which addresses the specific needs of Black women through education, advocacy and African culture.

The reception will take place at the James West Alumni Center. Admission is free.

March 28, 10 a.m.
"The Fumes of Mars:" Online book discussion with Katerina Angelopoulou

Award-winning author and artist Katerina Angelopoulou will give a talk on her most recent book, "The Fumes of Mars," which offers a personal account of the 2018 wildfire in Mati on the east coast of Greece, one of the deadliest blazes ever recorded. Angelopoulou's book attempts to weave a collective narrative of the events to better understand the disconnect between her own experience and "official" accounts of the disaster. This discussion will be moderated by UCLA professor Sharon Gerstel, director of the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture, and Eirini Kotsovili, senior lecturer at Simon Fraser University.

Admission is free, but registration is required.