2025 Commencement Speaker
Ann Philbin
Philbin recently retired as the director of the UCLA Hammer Museum and is currently a board member of LA28—the Los Angeles organizing committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028—and the Foundation for Arts Initiatives. Philbin was the director of the Hammer from 1999 to 2024, responsible for quadrupling attendance, expanding collections to more than 50,000 objects, and overseeing a substantial renovation of the museum’s building, which was completed in 2023, adding 40,000 square feet of gallery, administrative, and public space. Under her tenure the museum launched Hammer Projects, a series of more than 100 exhibitions and installations featuring local, national, and international emerging artists. She also spearheaded the Made in L.A. biennial exhibition, which has become part of the city’s cultural firmament and offers a broader view of the region’s art and design contributions. According to The New York Times, “Under Philbin, the Hammer…embraced contemporary art and became an important platform for emerging and underappreciated artists with an emphasis on social justice.”
Guest Information
Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
Location: Terrace Theater
Address: 300 E Ocean Blvd #300, Long Beach, CA 90802
Ceremony Time: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm (PST)
ADA/Accommodation Seating Opens: TBD
All Seating Opens: TBD
The ceremony will be livestreamed, with the livestream link becoming available shortly before the event begins.
- Commencement begins at 12:00 p.m. sharp. The ceremony will last approximately 2 hours. There is no reception following the ceremony. After the ceremony adjourns, all graduates will be asked to exit the Marsee Auditorium to allow for the staff to clean up the space.
- Cameras are allowed; please note, we are required by the theater venue to have the aisles remain clear at all times. A professional photographer will take a picture of each graduate as they cross the stage. Students will be able to order copies of photos from the photographer.
- During the ceremony, graduates and guests should refrain from excessive talking, cheering, use of noisemakers, and any other distractions that take away from the dignity of the ceremony.
Each graduating student will be eligible to receive up to 6 tickets for guests to
attend Commencement. All guest tickets are assigned seating and will be based on time
of submission of the Commencement Participation Form.
Additional ticket availability will be based on how many tickets are reserved through
the Commencement Participation Form. The deadline for every student to complete their
Commencement Participation Form is April 14, 2026. Information on availability of
extra tickets will be shared late April.
Parking information will be shared in early 2026.
- All guests must have a ticket in order to enter the Commencement venue.
- All guest seating is assigned by the venue (some seats are in a balcony with stair
access only). No saving seats will be allowed.
- Wheelchair access is available and a sign-language interpreter will be at the program.
All accommodation requests need to be made through the Commencement Participation
Form.
As learned from the previous years, the event is subject to change and we will be
sure to keep folks updated. Please be on the look out for more information in the
upcoming months.