Across different mediums and styles, African diaspora culture and history are centered in the work of artist Cauleen Smith, who recently joined the art department faculty in the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.   

From March 9 through March 11, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Hammer Museum at UCLA will present a collection of Smith’s work, drawing from her short films and her Afrofuturist sound collage “Black Utopia LP.” The opening event, “Cauleen Smith—In Space, In Time,” will include a performance from the artist herself at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer.

“Ranging through radical Black art and culture, feminist resistance and Black history, while utilizing the character of urban environments and her own innermost thoughts and fantasies, Cauleen moves between public and intimate discourse,” said Steve Anker, guest curator for the program.

Smith brings her versatile artistic practice to her new role at UCLA.

“I like to teach about light, video sound in space,” she said. “Installation and social engagement. I like to help my students locate their point of view and help them develop a voice that articulates that in a way that engages others.”

For a deeper dive into Smith and her artistic practice, visit the UCLA Arts website.