About 30 contributors to UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures and friends of Timothy and Monica Babich gathered at the Babichs’ Montecito home for an intimate reception and dinner with CNN host, columnist and author Fareed Zakaria. Afterwards, Zakaria shared many fascinating insights on the upcoming election and other political matters at a sold-out talk at the Granada Theatre.
During the cocktail hour on the Babichs’ lovely backyard patio overlooking the pool and gardens, guests enjoyed casual conversation with Zakaria, whose wit and charm is just as pronounced as his keen intellect. Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner by Omni catering at a long table adjacent to the pool, surrounded by greenery.
The talk at the Granada offered many fascinating insights. While making sense of the current election is beyond anyone’s capacity, Zakaria was able to offer an analysis that greatly illuminated how our nation finds itself in its current situation. He also managed to pepper the discussion with just enough humor to satisfy all elements of A&L’s mission in one performance: “to educate, entertain, and inspire.”
The dinner was but one of many interesting and enjoyable social events that Arts & Lectures (A&L) holds for its contributors, whose support is critical to its ability to offer the assortment of performances and lectures that it does at current prices. A&L presents more than 100 events each year, including concerts, dance performances, lectures, and films. Contributions also support A&L’s outreach program for K-12 students, college students, and the general public which brings visiting artists and speakers to classrooms and other venues for rehearsals, classes, and discussions. Upcoming outreach events include a talk by astronaut Scott Kelly to 1,500 elementary school students at the Arlington Theatre and a coaching session by musicians from Jazz at Lincoln Center for high school jazz bands.
For more information about Arts & Lectures go to artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu.
