“You do not have to ask permission to participate in the creativity of your own survival.”
That was one of commencement speaker Taylor Mac’s key points to the 372 graduates at last month’s 2026 CalArts Graduation. In a 15-minute address, Mac—who uses “judy” as a gender pronoun—found a perfect audience to discuss the artist’s journey post-CalArts. With curiosity. By failing. By being present on this planet.
Watch the video in its entirely for a little inspiration.
An acclaimed performance artist, playwright, received the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (colloquially known as the “Genius Grants”) in 2017—the same year judy was named a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. The production covered music decade-by-decade in the United States from 1776 to the 2016, and culminated in a 24-hour performance piece.
While Mac brought the star power to the graduation stage, the Class of 2026 remained the focus of the day, letting their voices be heard and their accomplishments be celebrated.
Browse through a photo gallery below of our most recent grads.
