Celebrating its 18^th season, the University of Arizona School of Art’s Visiting Artists and Scholars Endowment (VASE) lecture series will feature acclaimed artists and educators Ala Ebtekar, Ronald Rael, Rujeko Hockley and José Villalobos in 2024-25.

The free, hour-long VASE presentations will be held on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Center for Creative Photography auditorium, 1030 N. Olive Road. Here’s the lineup:

Ala Ebtekar (Oct. 10, 2024): Director of Stanford University’s Art, Social Space and Public Discourse, the artist will discuss his most recent work, “The Sky of the Seven Valleys,” delving into the intricate interplay between terrestrial and celestial elements that inform his studio practice.

Ronald Rael (Nov. 14, 2024): The Cal Berkeley professor is an architect, activist, design technologist, rancher and traditional builder. In his talk, “Mud y Robots,” he’ll discuss his new paradigm in construction, coupling adobe with 3D-printing technology to create housing that can save the planet. (Co-sponsored with the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture)

Rujeko Hockley (Feb. 13, 2025): She’s the Arnhold Associate Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Hockley, who co-curated the 2019 Whitney Biennial, was born in Zimbabwe and relocated with her family to Washington, D.C., at age 2. (Co-sponsored with Racial Justice Studio)

José Villalobos (March 20, 2025): The San Antonio, Texas, artist explores traditionally “masculine” objects and softens the virility of them. He was raised in El Paso on the U.S.-Mexico border, growing up with religious ideals that conflict and condemn being gay.

“The VASE program continues to be a cornerstone of our students’ education, offering invaluable opportunities to engage with leading figures in contemporary art and design,” Regents Professor Sama Alshaibi said.

This year, Alshaibi said VASE is expanding its impact by partnering with the School of Architecture to host Rael and collaborating with Arizona Arts’ Racial Justice Studio to bring in Hockley.

Along with Ebtekar and Villalobos, “this exceptional lineup is not only broadening our horizons but also fostering new connections and innovation,” Alshaibi said.

“Our 2024-2025 guests will tackle critical issues such as the social, political, and environmental impacts of architecture, borders and migration, as well as the intersection of identity, place and memory,” she added. “By engaging with these diverse perspectives, we are advancing important dialogues on cultural boundaries and the resilience of marginalized communities.”

The series is made possible by the School of Art Advisory Board Visiting Artists and Scholars Endowment, the National Endowment for the Arts, the School of Art, the College of Fine Arts Dean’s Fund for Excellence, the Center for Creative Photography and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Tucson.

Go to vase.art.arizona.edu for more details.