June 26, 2025
News Release
UC Santa Barbara appoints Meghan Bush as next Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures
UCSB Arts & Lectures Miller McCune Executive Director Meghan Bush with author Pico Iyer (photo: Isaac Hernández de Lipa)
Santa Barbara, CA – Following a rigorous national search, Meghan Bush has been appointed the new Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, effective June 30, 2025. Bush brings two decades of dedicated service to Arts & Lectures and a proven record of creative leadership, operational excellence, and deep commitment to the role of the arts in public life.
In accepting the new role, Bush said that she is “honored to succeed my mentor, Celesta Billeci, as the Miller McCune Executive Director. Having worked closely with Celesta, the Arts & Lectures Council, and our dedicated team for many years, I look forward to building on our shared legacy and supporting Arts & Lectures’ continued growth and flourishing."
Bush currently serves as Associate Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, where she oversees Marketing & Communications, Education & Community Engagement, and Finance & Operations. Under her leadership, the organization has enhanced its national profile, increased revenue through strategic communications, and expanded access to free masterclasses and enrichment programs serving over 25,000 students and community members annually.
In a campus-wide announcement issued Wednesday, UCSB Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall said that he is “pleased to announce that following a rigorous national recruitment, Meghan Bush has been appointed as the next Miller McCune Executive Director for Arts & Lectures, beginning on June 30th.” Additionally Marshall thanked Celesta M. Billeci, the outgoing Miller McCune Executive Director, for “25 years of dedicated service to the campus and the community,” adding that “Arts & Lectures just announced its 2025-26 season, and it is a testament to the outstanding programming that has made A&L nationally prominent and has enriched both campus and community. We look forward to the next chapter of A&L’s history under Meghan Bush’s leadership.”
Since joining the organization in 2004, Bush has held roles including Senior Writer / Publicist, Director of Marketing & Communications, and Associate Director. She has led Arts & Lectures’ brand development, programming strategy, and financial stewardship through a period of significant growth, co-curating more than 100 public events each year and stewarding critical relationships with donors, artists, and community partners.
Bush is a UC Berkeley graduate with a background in English and Performance Studies. She currently serves on the board of Western Arts Alliance and chairs its Membership & Communications Committee. A passionate advocate for arts accessibility, creative communication, and public engagement, Bush is known for her collaborative leadership and commitment to community impact.
June 27, 2025
News Release
UCSB Arts & Lectures Creates Roman Baratiak Endowed Lecture Fund
Celebrating the formative impact of the Associate Director emeritus’ 44-year tenure, the Fund will support an annual mainstage lecture in Baratiak’s name
UCSB Arts & Lectures Associate Director emeritus Roman Baratiak with author Pico Iyer at the Montecito Club on January 27, 2025. (Photo: Isaac Hernández de Lipa)
Santa Barbara, CA – UCSB Arts & Lectures is proud to announce the creation of the Roman Baratiak Endowed Lecture Fund in support of an annual mainstage lecture honoring the legacy of Roman Baratiak, whose 44 years of service helped bridge the university and the Santa Barbara community through the arts and intellectual discourse. This prestigious lecture will debut as part of the UCSB Arts & Lectures season in 2025-2026 with columnist, CNN host and author Fareed Zakaria giving the inaugural presentation, a talk titled “What It Takes” on Thursday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre.
Roman Baratiak played a transformative role as Associate Director, presenting hundreds of the world’s most distinguished voices, including Nobel Prize laureates, heads of state, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award winners, Olympians, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award recipients and inspirational humanitarians. Notable figures that Baratiak helped bring to Santa Barbara include Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and economist Muhammad Yunus; world leaders such as President Joseph Biden; esteemed writers like Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis; and Olympians Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. Baratiak’s vision helped to elevate UCSB Arts & Lectures into one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions.
In addition to his work curating world-class speakers, Baratiak co-founded UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Free Summer Cinema series at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden, a beloved tradition that has brought free outdoor films to the public for more than a decade. Baratiak is currently active in the community as a Santa Barbara County Arts Commissioner.
The fund was announced at a private ceremony on January 27 featuring renowned author Pico Iyer who acknowledged Baratiak as more than a mentor, calling him a “really, really close friend” from whom he learned “more than from any professor I’ve ever studied with.” He praised Baratiak’s dedication to students and the community, saying he showed him “always to put the students first.” Reflecting on Baratiak’s impact, Iyer described him as the “tall, lean, large and quiet soul” at the Arts & Lectures podium and at the heart of Santa Barbara’s cultural life, a person who spent decades “exhorting students to open their doors and windows to a greater understanding of the world.”
Baratiak’s characteristically modest response reflects his continuing commitment to the mission of the organization. “I am humbled by this extraordinary honor and extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Arts & Lectures Executive Director Celesta Billeci for establishing the annual endowed lecture and to the many donors and friends who have so generously contributed to make it possible. Encouraging intellectual curiosity and life-long learning was always central to my work at A&L.”
The Roman Baratiak Endowed Lecture Fund will ensure that Baratiak’s commitment to bringing thought-provoking discussions and influential figures to Santa Barbara continues for generations to come. This endowed lecture will serve as a fitting tribute to his lifelong dedication to enriching the cultural and intellectual landscape of UCSB and beyond. Created at $1 million in January of 2025, the endowment has already grown to over $1.1 million.
U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal read an official proclamation commending Baratiak for his service at Arts & Lectures, for his great talent as an organizer of events and for his commitment to being a wise and thoughtful citizen. Other speakers who testified to Baratiak’s contributions included Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps, Chancellor Henry Yang’s spouse Dilling Yang, and Bruce Tiffney, UCSB Professor emeritus and former Dean of the College of Creative Studies. Professor Tiffney cited an early example of Baratiak’s prowess as a programmer, the visit of sociobiologist E. O. Wilson, saying that by doing so Baratiak “made an enormous difference to many students by bringing these adventurous, intellectually challenging people who have made a difference in the world to talk directly with students.”
“We are thrilled to establish this endowed lecture series in honor of Roman, whose tireless efforts energized our community and university for over four decades,” said Arts & Lectures Miller McCune Executive Director Celesta M. Billeci. “His impact on Santa Barbara’s cultural life is immeasurable, and this lecture series will continue his work of inspiring and engaging audiences. I encourage all those who share our admiration for Roman and his work at Arts & Lectures to consider contributing to the Fund.”
To contribute to the Roman Baratiak Endowed Lecture Fund, contact Elise Erb, Interim Senior Director of Development at (805) 893-5679 or elise.erb@artsandlectures.ucsb.edu for more information.
June 25, 2025
News Release
UCSB Arts & Lectures names distinguished community leaders Dorothy Largay and Patricia MacFarlane Co-Chairs of its Advisory Council
Left: A&L Council Co-chair Dorothy Largay; Right: A&L Council Co-chair Patricia MacFarlane (photos: Isaac Hernández de Lipa)
Santa Barbara, CA – UCSB Arts & Lectures is pleased to announce the appointment of Dorothy Largay and Patricia MacFarlane as the new Co-chairs of the Arts & Lectures Council, a leadership group of dedicated volunteers who support the organization's mission to educate, entertain and inspire through world-class cultural and artistic programming. Largay officially assumed her role as Co-Chair with incumbents Richard Janssen and Kath Lavidge on January 1, 2025. Patricia MacFarlane will begin her tenure on July 1, 2025. Lavidge and Janssen, who served in a leadership capacity for more than seven years, including through the COVID-19 pandemic, will remain key advisors on the Council.
Both Largay and MacFarlane bring a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to community engagement to their new roles.
Dorothy Largay is a longtime supporter of the arts and a respected leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. A former clinical psychologist and technology executive, she is the founder and CEO of the Linked Foundation, which invests in initiatives that improve the health and economic self-reliance of women and families in Latin America and the U.S. In addition to her past leadership with Direct Relief and Cottage Health, she has served on the Advisory Board of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. Largay and her husband, Wayne Rosing, were awarded UCSB’s Honorary Alumni awards for their contributions to Arts and Lectures and to Astrophysics. They have supported many Arts & Lectures initiatives, including Nobel Peace Prize speakers, education programs, and the vibrant Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara community arts program. "Arts & Lectures is such a gem in our community," she says. "It brings us together to experience world-class artists and thinkers, while also reaching deeply into underserved communities with programs like Viva el Arte."
Patricia MacFarlane is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and STEAM with an extensive background in nonprofit service and local philanthropy. A former J.P. Morgan Securities investment banker and A&L Council member for the past six years, MacFarlane is a former Santa Barbara Foundation Person of the Year. She has served in numerous nonprofit leadership roles including the boards of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Crane School, the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, and the Towbes Foundation. MacFarlane and her family support numerous departments at UCSB, but she calls the Arts & Lectures program "the one most near and dear to my heart." She adds, "Arts & Lectures enriches our minds, lifts our spirits, builds our community – and it wouldn't be possible without our most valued partners and supporters."
"We are thrilled to welcome Dorothy and Patricia into this shared leadership role," said Celesta M. Billeci, Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures. "They are deeply engaged community leaders with a profound belief in the power of the arts. Their partnership will help advance and expand the organization’s mission and impact."
The appointment of new Council co-chairs comes at a time of exceptional momentum for Arts & Lectures. The Roman Baratiak Lecture Endowment recently surpassed $1 million, ensuring long-term support for thought-provoking speakers. The iViva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! endowment is approaching its $7 million goal, with more than $6 million raised, guaranteeing free, family-friendly performances across Santa Barbara County for many years to come.
With strong community investment and inspired new leadership, UCSB Arts & Lectures remains at the forefront of cultural life on the Central Coast.
October 24, 2024
News Release
Celesta M. Billeci, Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, to Retire After 25 Seasons
As the longest serving director in the organization's history she expanded its operations tenfold
Celesta M. Billeci and her husband, John Hajda, with Yo-Yo Ma in 2007.
Santa Barbara, CA – Celesta M. Billeci, Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, announced this week that she will retire at the end of the 2024-2025 season. Billeci has led Arts & Lectures through 25 celebrated and successful years. Though Billeci’s next chapter takes her beyond our campus, her legacy of leadership will continue to inspire our community.
Billeci is the third UCSB Arts & Lectures director, following Peg Armstrong and Jan Oetinger, and the longest-serving director in the organization’s history. Billeci arrived at UCSB following more than a decade of leadership at the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts (subsequently known as UCLA Live, and currently as the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance). Over the course of two and a half decades in the top spot at UC Santa Barbara, she brought Arts & Lectures to downtown Santa Barbara venues and to national prominence. Embracing the program’s unusually broad scope, Billeci grew the organization’s budget from less than a million dollars to its current level of over $10 million annually.
Contributions to Dance
Her avid pursuit of the best and most timely programming available has made UC Santa Barbara a coveted stop on world tours for international dance companies such as Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan, Ballet Preljocaj, Lyon Opera Ballet and Batsheva Dance Company. All of the major American dance companies–Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Alonzo King LINES, New York City Ballet Moves, Dorrance Dance, as well as individual stars like Lil Buck and Tiler Peck–now perform in Santa Barbara on a regular basis as a result of Billeci’s sustained curation.
Billeci with New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Tiler Peck and MacArthur Award-winning choreographer Michelle Dorrance in 2023 (photo: Isaac Hernández de Lipa)
Distinction in Lectures
UCSB Arts & Lectures takes pride in the breadth, depth and sophistication of its lecture offerings. Distinguished visitors in recent years include President Joseph Biden, television hosts Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien, and three winners of the Nobel Prize: 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai, 2020 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry Dr. Jennifer Doudna, and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Ressa.
Billeci with Conan O'Brien in 2016
65th Anniversary Season Highlights Include Close Friends
This season, longtime friends like Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis and others will return to help celebrate Arts & Lectures’ 65th anniversary. Marsalis had this to say about Billeci:
“Man, I’ve known Celesta since she was a baby, just starting out. We kind of came up in the same time period. I knew her from the very beginning of her career. I always loved her because she has consistently been so intense and for real. She’s like a force of nature. Now we’ve been out here doing this for, I don’t know, 30 years or whatever it is, and when I look at her now I have to smile, because it reminds me of, in those early days, how much of a believer she was in the arts and in bringing people deep experiences. She is so absolutely for real. Her name is always the first one that comes out of my mouth whenever people talk about presenting arts organizations or arts programs on college campuses or arts management. She is the absolute gold standard for this type of work, and even when she was a kid, she had that kind of dedication.”
Wynton Marsalis and Billeci in 2014 (photo: Isaac Hernández de Lipa)
Enhancing the Program
With her commitment to the highest standards of artistic excellence comes an equal emphasis on diversity, accessibility, and connection. She established the ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara! program in 2006 to share the rich cultural heritage of Latin America through free performances and workshops. Today, Viva collaborates with dozens of local partners to present high-quality touring artists in schools, after-school programs, and community centers throughout north and south Santa Barbara County. On the UC Santa Barbara campus, the Arnhold Arts & Lectures Initiative enables thousands of students to connect with today’s most essential artists in intimate settings such as master classes, classroom visits, and workshops. More recently, the Justice For All programming initiative has given students free access to the world's greatest minds, illuminating a wide spectrum of systemic injustice, confronting uncomfortable questions, solving difficult problems and guiding us all toward a more equitable world.
"A Transformative Executive Director"
In a statement addressed to the UCSB Campus Community, Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall wrote “Celesta Billeci has been a transformative A&L Executive Director, collaborating with faculty, staff, students, and community members to enhance the educational and cultural mission of UC Santa Barbara. We thank her for her many contributions and look forward to A&L's 65th anniversary season.”
Billeci has been instrumental in fulfilling Arts & Lectures’ role in the university’s mission. By attracting top performers and lecturers from afar, she has brought the world’s resources to the campus. By extending the reach of A&L’s programming to venues in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, she has brought the campus to the community. Rising to the challenge presented by the pandemic, she sustained the organization’s financial viability through a prolonged period when quarantine shut down live performances. Arts & Lectures has provided meaningful employment to hundreds of students and staff members throughout her tenure. “I am devoted to my loyal staff,” says Billeci,”without them and the wonderful student workers who do everything from staff the box office to usher the events, none of this would be possible.”
Billeci thanks the many generous donors and patrons who have contributed to the organization over the past 25 years, saying that "the support Arts & Lectures has received from the community is exemplary in every way. Their help and guidance has made all the difference, and the prestige that Arts & Lectures enjoys today is founded on those efforts."
In recent years, Billeci has steered Arts & Lectures from the first ranks of presenting to the forefront of commissioning works as well. Collaborations with other institutions such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Cal Performances have helped groups like the Danish String Quartet, the Mark Morris Dance Group and Twyla Tharp Dance and artists such as mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, violinist Jennifer Koh and bass-baritone Davóne Tines create and premiere new work.
The University will conduct a national search for Billeci’s successor.
For now, Billeci looks forward to presenting a stellar 65th anniversary season and ensuring the organization’s stability as it continues to entertain, educate, and inspire for another 65 years and more.
September 26, 2024
News Release
Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture recognizes Celesta M. Billeci, the Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, with a 2024 Leadership in Arts Individual Award
Billeci celebrates 25 years at the helm of Arts & Lectures in the organization’s 65th anniversary year
Cello virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma with UCSB Arts & Lectures Miller McCune Executive Director Celesta M. Billeci (photo: Isaac Hernández de Lipa)
Santa Barbara, CA – The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission has voted unanimously to recognize Celesta M. Billeci, the Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, with the 2024 County of Santa Barbara Leadership in Arts Award.
The award program was established by the Commission in 2006 “to honor and recognize individuals or organizations that have made a significant impact on the arts and culture of our region through innovative thinking and exemplary commitment to promoting sustaining, and advancing our quality of life through the Arts.” Each year, one individual and one organization are honored during Arts & Humanities Month (October) for their exceptional contributions. The resolution formalizing the award will be presented to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors at their upcoming meeting on October 8, 2024.
In documenting the award, the Commission offered the following statement on Billeci’s contribution to the Arts and Culture of Santa Barbara over the past 25 years.
“Since taking the helm of A&L in 2000, Celesta has transformed what was once a mostly campus-facing program into one of the largest and most respected public arts presenting programs in the nation. Her determination and passion is to present the best in the performing arts, public lectures, educational outreach programs and special events to audiences throughout Santa Barbara County. A&L presented 75 public events (many of them free of charge) in 2023-24 and over 100 educational outreach programs. All of these are the result of Celesta's personal commitment to serve the UCSB campus and the Santa Barbara community.
With a hard-working staff, dedicated community partners, and generous donors, amazing initiatives have been launched over the years that continue to change lives and enrich our community. These include ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara, created in 2006, to share the rich cultural heritage of Latin America with thousands of students and community members in Guadalupe, Isla Vista and Santa Barbara. Celesta launched A&L's Access for All initiative providing dynamic learning experiences for K-12 students and lifelong learners serving more than 30,000 students and community members annually, including matinee field trips for students from across the county to special morning performances with A&L-sponsored performers at The Granada Theatre.
Celesta worked with generous donors and launched the Thematic Learning Initiative (TLI) to engage lifelong learners and local non-profit organizations in the community with visiting speakers and thinkers via focused small group interaction, master classes and workshops. Celesta's drive to create meaningful opportunities for community engagement with the arts is unparalleled and inspiring. Here are a few other initiatives she launched, championed and/or supported - A&L's Family Fun program; the Speaking with Pico series featuring beloved writer Pico Iyer in conversation with acclaimed authors, artists and thinkers; and the Justice for All series presenting vital programming addressing difficult societal challenges and positing solutions for progress.”
Billeci expresses her gratitude to the County and acknowledges others who have contributed to the success of the organization with the following statement:
"Thank you to the County Office of Arts and Culture, the arts Commissioners, and the supervisors for the Leadership in Arts Award. I appreciate the recognition as an individual, and I accept the honor on behalf of all the great people who have supported me and contributed to Arts & Lectures in the 25 years I have served as the organization's Executive Director. My hard-working and loyal staff, both present and past; the faculty, staff, administration, and students of UCSB; and the many members of the Santa Barbara community who have attended events, made contributions, and devoted time and energy to serving on the A&L Council – thank you all from my heart.
Arts & Lectures shows how fundamental the experience of gathering for a live event is to a healthy community. Whether it’s the hum of animated voices as people file out of Campbell Hall after a great lecture, the shouts of approval and waves of applause that sweep through the room after an exciting dance number or a beautiful song, or the absorption of a roomful of students leaning in to hear a talented artist speak about their life's work, there's no substitute for the joy of all being in one place to witness something as a group.
This award comes as we embark on the 65th anniversary season of UCSB Arts & Lectures, and it is my greatest hope that, 65 years from now, a new generation will be celebrating the continuing success of Arts & Lectures in educating, entertaining, and inspiring Santa Barbara."