May 02 Saturday
Since 2007, UCSB Reads has fostered a shared sense of belonging by bringing the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. Conceived by then Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, the program is led by the UCSB Library in collaboration with campus and community partners. Each year, a committee of UCSB faculty, students, staff, and community members selects a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary book written by a living author that encourages a wide range of readers to engage with a contemporary social, political, cultural or scientific issue such as climate change, racial justice, technology, memory, identity, and democracy.
The program kicks off in winter with a book giveaway for UCSB students led by the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and University Librarian, and culminates with a free public talk by the book’s author(s) at Campbell Hall in the spring. Throughout the winter and spring quarters, the Library sponsors a variety of free learning, experiential, and social events to explore the book’s themes. The selected book is also incorporated into the university curriculum for winter and spring, allowing students to explore its themes in an academic context. UCSB Reads is generously supported by many individuals, university departments, and organizations.
This exhibition highlights the history of UCSB Reads since its inception, featuring promotional posters, selected books, custom bookmarks along with testimonials and images of participants engaging with programming throughout the years. UCSB Reads has become a beloved campus tradition that brings together thousands of people every year and demonstrates the power of literature to bridge divides, promote intellectual engagement, and build community.
More than 1,200 UCSB students annually participate in the UCSB Education Abroad Program (EAP) to study, intern, and conduct research in 35+ countries, earning UC credit toward majors, minors, and general education requirements. Returning students are invited to share their most memorable images from their time outside the United States with EAP.
Curated by EAP staff, this exhibition showcases standout submissions from EAP’s annual photo contests. Through these eye-catching photographs, students share their experiences living abroad with the campus community and highlight how EAP has enriched their undergraduate education at UCSB.
"Through most of our lives and work, Cedric and I have had deep commitments to collaboration, internationalism, and solidarity movements."–Elizabeth Robinson, 2024
This exhibition documents the life’s work of Cedric J. Robinson and Elizabeth Peters Robinson, placing it in the global context of the Black radical tradition. The Robinsons were renowned for their seminal scholarship and activism that had wide-ranging influence at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), in academia, and across many public arenas. The exhibition is drawn from the Cedric J. and Elizabeth P. Robinson Archive (“Robinson Archive”) and supplemented by a variety of materials from other collections in UCSB Library’s Special Research Collections, as well as personal contributions from Elizabeth Robinson.
A deeply influential educator, Cedric Robinson (1940-2016) was a well-known scholar of racial capitalism and the Black radical tradition, and an active participant in political movements, both at home and internationally. For more than 30 years, Elizabeth Robinson has been an educator, social worker, former associate director for media at KCSB-FM radio, activist, and community media producer.
This exhibition was curated by Yolanda Blue, the Library’s Curator of American and International History, Politics, and Cultures Collections, in collaboration with New York University and UCSB Library staff.
William Shakespeare’s plays transcended their origins almost immediately. Even during his lifetime, his unforgettable characters and indelible lines were already escaping the stage – taken up by others and repurposed and circulated in diverse ways. While his plays have been performed continuously for over four hundred years, they have also left the stage behind to live on elsewhere.
Printers and publishers have reproduced Shakespeare’s words in every possible textual format and in numerous languages. Literary and visual artists have continuously adapted and reinterpreted them in various artforms. Musicians and choreographers have refashioned his stories into opera, ballet, pop songs, and modern dance. Meanwhile, filmmakers, television writers, and videogame creators have transformed them for modern screens. This exhibition explores the many forms and many afterlives of Shakespeare’s art – from a single scrap of his crabbed handwritten text to the digital media of the twenty-first century.
Infinite Variety was co-curated by David Gartrell, the Library’s Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, and Professor Jim Kearney, Department of English. The exhibition is on display in the Jackie Laskoff Exhibition Alcove, located in the Sara Miller McCune Arts Library (1st Floor, Mountain Side), and is co-sponsored by UCSB Library and the Department of English.
This collaborative exhibition celebrates the intersection of art and environmental stewardship, highlighting the efforts of the Oak Group, the UCSB Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration, and Coal Oil Point Reserve to conserve the Devereux Slough. Art in Service of the Land invites viewers to explore how art documents, interprets, and amplifies the ongoing work of conservation, revealing the beauty and complexity of the North Campus Open Space (NCOS) and inspiring engagement with our local environment.
This exhibition was curated and cosponsored by the Oak Group and the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, in collaboration with UCSB Library staff.
The Oak Group is one of the first artist groups in the U.S. to combine creativity with conservation. Since 1986, Oak Group artists have exhibited artworks painted on location to raise awareness and funds for open spaces, generating over $3 million in sales to support the preservation of lands for wildlife, recreation, ranching, and farming. The group includes 25 active members and has presented more than 100 exhibitions benefiting over 20 conservation organizations.
Join us for Saturday morning art adventures in the EE Makerspace above Art from Scrap.All materials provided - just bring your imagination!Kids 5+ (adults must stay in the Makerspace with their child).Projects may use hot glue guns - safety first!
Long celebrated for its golden light and serene vistas, the Ojai Valley has inspired generations of artists. Ojai Mystique continues this tradition, inviting nineteen artists from across the region and beyond to immerse themselves in the landscape and translate their impressions into two paintings: a large masterwork and a smaller companion piece.
Exhibiting artists: John Cosby, Steven Curry, Carolyn Lord, Kim Lordier, Jennifer Moses, Charles Muench, John Nava, Michael Obermeyer, Jesse Powell, Ian Roberts, Ray Roberts, Dave Santillanes, Dan Schultz, Frank Serrano, W. Jason Situ, Alexey Steele, Sarah Vedder, Anne Ward, Wendy Wirth.
Ojai Mystique is curated by Jennifer Moses and Dan Schultz. Demonstrations and artist talks are scheduled throughout the exhibition.
Opening reception: Friday April 17, 2026, 5-7pm. Exhibition runs through August 9, 2026.
Ojai Valley Museum hours are Thursday - Sunday 10am - 4pm.
National Safe Boating Week this year May 16-22, 2026 is observed to bring attention to important life-saving tips for recreational boaters so that they can have a safer, more fun experience out on the water throughout the year.
Visit the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary booth at Local events in Ventura County and San Luis Obispo County.* May 1-3: Westcoast Outdoor Sportfishing and Boat Show, Ventura County Fair Grounds* May 2: Boat Specialists 50th Anniversary Boat Show,* May 16: 16th Annual Safe Boating Expo, Channel Islands Harbor* May 16: Morro Bay Safe Boating Day* May 17: Port San Luis Safe Boating Day
During National Safe Boating Week, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Safe Boating Council, along with federal, state, and local safe boating partners encourage all boaters to explore and enjoy America’s beautiful waters responsibly.
The Coast Guard estimates that human error accounts for most boating accidents and that life jackets could prevent nearly 75 percent of boating fatalities. Through basic boating safety procedures – carrying life-saving emergency distress and communications equipment, wearing life jackets, at-tending safe boating courses, participating in free boat safety checks, and staying sober when navigating – we can help ensure boaters on America’s coastal, inland, and offshore waters stay safe throughout the season.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 's Boat America course is an introductory boater certificate course designed for the novice boater. The 1-day course consists of seven core lessons, providing up-to-date knowledge for boating safety. Coast Guard Auxiliary ci-vilian instructors are experienced recreational boaters with in-depth knowledge of boating safety and skills. Topics include Introduction to Boating, Boating Law, Safety Equipment, Safe Operation and Navigation, Boating Emergencies, Trailering, and Sports and Boating tips.
Working on a creative project that’s not quite done? Finish it up and cross it off your resolutions list! the Join other makers and spread out on our big tables, use our tools and dig through our upcycled materials to finalize your masterpiece. Get expert tips as we cheer you on to success. Ages 13+.
AVAILABLE: *LASER CUTTER *CRICUT *SEWING MACHINES *SERGER *BASIC HAND TOOLS *GLUE GUNS*TRACING TABLE *SOLDERING IRON *BLOCK PRINTING TOOLS
Join Friends of California Condors Wild and Free for a captivating free lecture exploring theremarkable journey of the critically endangered California Condor! We’ll discuss the current status of wild condor populations and the profound impact of breeding and release efforts on their survival.
Our guest speaker, Ms. Arianna Punzalan, is currently the Supervisory Wildlife Biologist at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex. She will speak to the public at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology located at 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo from noon to 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The lecture is free, but if you want to come early (WFVZ is open at 10AM) you can visit this amazing museum. Entrance will cost $10 to the largest egg collection in the world (over 1 million) as well as the largest nest collection in the world (over 18,000).
Friends of California Condors Wild and Free is a nonprofit 501c3 all volunteer organization,that has the mission to enhance public awareness of the endangered California Condor and to ensure that they are protected, healthy, and free.
Come learn about the endangered California Condor, North America’s largest land bird. Learn howyou can help the California Condor recovery effort. Become a volunteer! Be informed!
