CalArts

What can making music together teach us about democracy? This weekend, contemporary classical music collective Wild Up explores that question through two programs at Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), including a world premiere featuring CalArts students. Presented Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10–11, the concerts are part of Democracy Sessions, a festival running across Los Angeles through Nov. 3.

Guzheng performer and composer Annie Zhou won the Best World Music award at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards (HIMA) for her original composition “404: Lost in Neon.” The ceremony took place at the Avalon in Hollywood on July 30. In “404: Lost in Neon,” Zhou pairs the guzheng—a 21-string Chinese zither with a history spanning more than 2,500 years—with electric guitar, bass, and drums.

CalArts alums Emery Caleb Martin (Film/Video BFA 06) and Kerstin Hovland (Film/Video MFA 12) are co-founders of Electronic Countermeasures, a Los Angeles-based design studio where Meejin Hong (Film/Video MFA 12) serves as lead animator. For the past nine years, the team has created visuals for Foo Fighters’ live performances (just one of the many other bands and artists found on their client roster).

CalArts alum Ilse Castro Corona (Theater MFA 26) directs and produces Un-fitted, a new devised movement performance presented at Santa Clarita’s Business for Artists Conference on Saturday, Oct. 3. The project also features CalArts alums Euseon Song (Theater MFA 26), Tristan Samson (Theater MFA 25), Ashwath Ram (Theater MFA 26), Miriam Randolph (Theater MFA 26), and Rocco Lc Williams (Music MFA 26).

emajendat—artist and CalArts alum Lauren Halsey’s takeover of the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 29—was a love letter to LA and Black culture through art and music.

On Sept. 17, TIME magazine launched its inaugural list of the 100 most influential people shaping the future of art. TIME100 Art features five CalArtians: Catherine Opie (Art MFA 88), Adriano Pedrosa (Art-Critical Studies MFA 95), Tuan Andrew Nguyen (Art MFA 04), Lauren Halsey (Art BFA 12), as well as Chouinard (68) alum David Hammons. Spanning artists, curators, museum leaders, collectors, and gallerists, the list is organized into four categories: Leaders, Titans, Icons, and Innovators.

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, artist and CalArts alum Rodney McMillian (Art MFA 02) was named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The 20 2026 Fellows represent various fields, including the arts, science, and history. Colloquially known as the MacArthur “genius grants,” the fellowships recognize individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity and the potential to make significant future contributions in their fields.

Five animated short films by CalArts students and alums will air on PBS SoCal throughout October as part of the 27th Fine Cut Festival of Films. Fine Cut brings student films from across California to a television audience. This year’s festival selected 31 finalists from 414 submissions representing more than 53 schools, including the five CalArts films airing in October. See the broadcast dates for the CalArts films below. Thursday, Oct.

CalArts alum Lauren Halsey (Art BFA 12) transforms the Hollywood Bowl with emajendat, a site-specific installation and evening of music, art, and community-centered activities on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The event features an all-star lineup including Erykah Badu and The Alchemist, DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak), Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and the Charles Gaines Collective—led by CalArts Faculty Emeritus Charles Gaines and featuring Black Nile and Devin Daniels.

The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts presents the fourth annual Experiments in Electronic Sound Festival (EESF) from Thursday, Sept. 24, through Saturday, Sept. 26. Over three evenings, more than 20 artists and groups from around the world will present experimental sound works at the Roy O. Disney Concert Hall.