UCSB A&L

After a nationwide search, UCSB ended up turning to its own backyard to find the new Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, tapping Meghan Bush, its Associate Director, to step into the role held for 25 years by Celesta Billeci,  under whose stewardship A&L became one of the country’s most prominent programs. 

Bush, who called Billeci her mentor, has been at UCSB A&L for two decades herself, first joining the organization in 2004 as a production assistant, and moving through roles including Senior Writer/Publicist and Director of Marketing & Communications before assuming the Associate Director position. In that role, Bush co-curated more than 100 public events each year and fomented critical relationships with donors, artists, and community partners.

So don’t expect a sea change in what you see either on campus at Campbell Hall or in all the downtown venues that feature Arts & Lectures programs. 

“We have an incredibly strong foundation, and my interest is in maintaining the level and the quality of what we’re presenting,” Bush said. “I completely swell with pride with what we’ve accomplished, so I’m not seeking to drastically change what is a really well-established, well-oiled machine and a very strong brand, one that I was fundamental in helping to build.”

The goal, Bush said, is largely to heighten and build upon A&L’s current lofty position, one that (as the saying goes) consistently punches above its weight, with programming in a small city that consistently rivals what one might expect in a major metropolis like New York, Chicago, or London. 

“I’m coming in here to make sure that I can ensure that this program stays intact and stays strong in perpetuity,” Bush said. “I want to continue to seek out the most interesting and influential thought leaders and performing artists in the world and bring them to Santa Barbara, and in turn bring Santa Barbara to the world. It’s about keeping the momentum and maintaining quality.”

But Bush, of course, has something of a different focus than her predecessor, who made no bones about her predilection and love for dance over the years. 

“Our dance programming has become acclaimed and internationally renowned, which we want to maintain,” she said. “But I am very much a theater person. I’d love to find ways to build in high-quality theatrical performances that are economically feasible. But I’m not here to program for myself. It’s about what the Santa Barbara community wants and will be enriched by.” 

Perhaps not coincidentally, Bush’s background isn’t dissimilar to Billeci’s. Both started out interested in performing – Billeci as a dancer, Bush in theater – before discovering arts administration as a way to be deeply involved without the struggles and vicissitudes of appearing on stage themselves. 

“It took me a while to figure out what my role was,” said Bush, who grew up in northwest New Jersey before moving to Los Angeles fresh out of high school. A couple of years of dabbling in acting – “meaning mostly I was a bartender” – she eventually enrolled at UC Berkeley and graduated with a background in English and Performance Studies. Soon after, Bush moved with her husband – a kelp and abalone farmer – and landed at A&L. 

“I always thought I’d be in a big city, but I figured I’d give it a shot and see how I liked it,” she recalled. “Then we just ended up staying because, uh, Santa Barbara. We live in a vacation destination.”

On the other hand, even though Bush is likely to stay at her new position for many years, don’t expect her to be Celesta Billeci: The Sequel. It’s not just a matter of taste, but also a difference in approach to programming decision-making, Bush said. 

“Celeste is an incredibly bold personality, and that’s just not who I am. I’m very strong but I’m more quiet. Where Celeste is very gut oriented, she sees something and makes a move on it. I think about it, then think about it a little more, go consult the people I trust, and then come back to it before making a decision.” 

That difference in style is a big part of why Billeci and Bush worked so well together, the new executive director said. 

“We were very yin and yang. We balanced each other excellently. Frankly, I’m going to have to figure out how to backfill and replace myself.”

As far as what form the differences in the Bush administration might take and how they’ll show up in programming? Bush has a ready reply. 

“People have been asking, what’s your vision? Right now my vision is to get fully staffed. And I don’t intend to change anything until we determine what is and what isn’t working, which means a listening tour.” 

Indeed, time will tell just what those changes might look like (to the outside world anyway), not least because the already announced 2025-26 season, and even some dates into 2026-27, were booked while Billeci was still in charge. 

There are a number of events Bush said she’s eagerly anticipating, naming at least one from each major category of A&L’s programming series. 

In dance, that’s Compagnie Hervé KOUBI who will perform Sol Invictus at the Granada in January, a fusion of street dance and martial arts. 

“It’s so gorgeous and exhilarating, and they do this cool thing where they spin on their heads, twisting into a big piece of fabric,” she said. “It’s the most profound athleticism. It’s hard to explain, but you’re going to just leave with your jaw hanging open.” 

In lectures, known at A&L as ‘Word of Mouth,’ Bush cautioned guests not to wait to secure tickets to Fareed Zakaria on October 16 or Ezra Klein on November 4. 

“We live in a very weird and wild time politically, and Fareed and Ezra are two people who have their fingers on the pulse,” she said. “While they can’t solve our polarization, they can definitely ask the big questions and give us a chance to at least work through them in a collective way.”

Bush also pointed to author and performance artist Miranda July, who will be at Campbell in January, which has some personal resonance. 

“As a woman of a certain age, her 2024 All Fours appeals to me because it’s about women in perimenopause and menopause, and thinking about … what does it mean to fit into a box and meet all the expectations and be the type of wife and mother that you’re supposed to be? And what if you don’t want to be that? I think it will really speak to women of all ages and very open-minded men.”

In music, jazz singer Samara Joy, who returns to the Granada in October, drew praise. 

“She’s an absolutely captivating vocalist, the modern Sarah Vaughn,” Bush said. “It’s very entrancing. I can’t say enough positive things about how gorgeous her voice is.”  

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