Features & Essays

June 22, 2026

Behind the Curtain: “Here/Now” and the Joy of Dance and Community

By Gianna Dossa

Kennadi Davis crafted not just a performance, but a collective experience with her show "Here/Now."

June 5, 2026

The Met Gala in Review: Mirrors of the Met

By Abigail Sylvester

The 2026 Met Gala's theme did not disappoint and neither did the attendees’ artistic teams.

November 6, 2025

Letter from the Artsweek Editor: Stop defunding the arts

By Stella Mullin

Although the NEA is the largest funder of the arts in the United States, it is also one of the smallest federal agencies. President Trump is attempting to defund it.

October 23, 2025

KCSB’s Ted Coe celebrates 25 years with the station

By Stella Mullin

After a quarter century, Ted Coe reflects back on his time with UCSB's radio station, KCSB.

October 2, 2025

Queentide and Babe Rainbow Say ‘Stay Cool’

By Stella Mullin, Bridget Keon

With waves and smiles from the bands, it felt like we just made new friends. But maybe that’s just the magic and chemistry of a place like Isla Vista and the people it produces.

August 28, 2025

Drawn to Nature: ART 117 bridges art and science to spotlight the plants around UCSB

By Kendra Martinez

Eric Beltz worked with his students to combat plant blindness and bring awareness to UCSB's lack of an arboretum.

May 15, 2025

Long live the mountain show

By Stella Mullin

“Those are my favorite memories of going to UCSB, the mountain shows. They’re so special,” Isla Vista musician Jack Corliss said.

May 1, 2025

UCSB DKA presents: ‘Reel Talk’

By Stella Mullin

Created by members of UC Santa Barbara's film fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha, "Reel Talk" is a student-produced talk-show parody.

March 30, 2025

Attend the tale of Shrunken Heads, UCSB’s musical theater troupe

By Sandra Vovk

Founded in the 2000s, the entirely student-run organization has taken charge of the contemporary musical theater scene on campus.

February 21, 2025

‘The Brutalist’: cracks in the foundation of the American dream

By Conor Kelly

The film is a grand, ambitious piece that examines the way an immigrant is chewed up by America.

November 21, 2024

One year in 20-something-hood: Catching up with @liam.oce

By Lauren Chiou

Over the span of one year, UCSB alum Liam Ereneta’s content creation journey has grown to unfathomable heights.

October 17, 2024

Raíces de mi Tierra en fotos

By Lauren Chiou

Raíces de mi Tierra is UC Santa Barbara’s folklórico group, and is a completely student-funded and student-run organization.

October 10, 2024

Letters from the Artsweek Editors: Hispanic representation in the media

By Lauren Chiou, Kendra Martinez

Artsweek’s Latina editors delve into their experiences with Hispanic media representation in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

August 11, 2024

Binge vs. week-by-week: How streaming release models can influence success

By Lauren Chiou

As the streaming war rages on, platforms have been grappling with the decision of release format — a decision that is inconsistent across providers.

July 16, 2024

“Mustard Man”: The “post coming-of-age-story” of music, mayhem and maturing

By Kyra Schimpf

The independent, student-created film tells a story of rock ‘n’ roll, lifelong family friendships and the kind of chaos that can only happen in your 20s.