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Community Arts

Art doesn't exist in a vacuum. Often it is an expression of a community's desires and struggles. Explore how communities inform and enrich civic life, arts and culture.

Julian Torres in mariachi outfit | Still from "Southland Sessions" S1 E3: Mariachi - from Romance to Resistance
Julian Torres in mariachi outfit | Still from "Southland Sessions" S1 E3: Mariachi - from Romance to Resistance
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A woman wearing a kimono and holding a fan in her hands stands in the middle of the street amongst other women in kimonos and fans. In the background, parade onlookers watch from the curb.
After 2 years of virtual Nisei Week events due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Nisei Week returns in-person to celebrate its 80th year, kicking off with a vibrant parade that marched through Little Tokyo last Sunday.
An overhead shot of Phung Huynh's circular sculptural piece "Sobrevivir." A woman stands in the middle of the piece and looks down at the etchings on the sculpture. Another woman stands to the side and looks at the artwork from a seating area.
A new art installation by artist Phung Huynh at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center recalls the tragedy over the forced sterilizations of more than 200 women from the 1960s to '70s.
Banners with various messages like "Aliens welcome" and "Here to stay" are hung on the ceiling.
"Talking Back to Power: Projects by Aram Han Sifuentes" explores protest, immigration and citizenship through collaborative sewing projects. It also offers arresting banners made by the marginalized for those on the frontlines of protest.
A mural is painted on a white wall. The mural depicts an antelope with pink Converse sneakers hanging off its antler. Behind the antelope, a pink, cloudy smoke billows. At the bottom right corner of the wall has a pink circle with the words, "NUR!" in white painted over.
Lancaster-based muralist Nuri Amanatullah's murals illustrate the vibrancy and beauty of the desert wildlife while also serving as centerpieces for the people of Antelope Valley.
A man holding a large video camera.
Filmmaking is not only a way to tell a story, but to preserve memory. In every era, Black filmmakers like Gregory Everett, Zeinabu irene Davis, Ava Duvernay and Issa Rae continue to use film as a medium to keep their stories alive.
A collage image of the same African American man in different stages of his life.
From his west side party series to his community work in the Crenshaw District, Gregory Everett has always been motivated by the larger perspective, but his impact stayed relatively underground. Learn more about this pivotal person in the Black L.A. community.
A woman breathes out as white doves fly in the mural "Our Mighty Contribution"
Since the 1990s, Los Angeles has become less African American, as a way to hold onto their cultural integrity, Black Angelenos have turned to public art to help tell their ongoing story.
A collage of 1980s and '90s photos with flyers in the background.
During the early 1980s, throwing parties was one of the most lucrative ways for people in the 'hood to make money. Learn more about Ultra Wave, a popular crew that animated the Westside of Los Angeles.
J. Sergio O'Cadiz Moctezuma wearing a black suit and tie, sitting on a fireplace mantle. His leg is crossed over the other and a writing surface is resting on his knee. He's looking down and appears to be writing something down. He's smiling.
The arc of arts leader Sergio O’Cadiz Moctezuma is a lesson on the dynamics of artists of color in the Orange County. Just like there’s a link between U.S. history and ethnic cleansing in history books, there exists a similar link between the acknowledgement of a culture’s experienced reality and its representation in the Orange County art scene.
Grown men in wide-brimmed hats watch the goings-on at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena, a 6,000-seat facility designed expressly for charreadas.
For decades, the Pico Rivera Sports Arena has remained a cultural institution and cornerstone for generations of Mexican American families and the Latino community at large. As it flourished, so did charrería, Mexican rodeo.
A vibrant mural painted on the side of a public restroom structure depicts three farm workers bent over rows of corn. Behind the silhouetted farmworkers is a bright yellow sun with red-orange rays emanating from the center. Behind the sun is an Aztec eagle with its arms outstretched to the sides, the official symbol of the United Farmworkers Union.
The first draft of the City of Santa Barbara's Ortega Park Master Plan called for the removal of the park's 15 cultural murals. Neighbors, activists and mural artists pushed for the preservation of the pieces, murals that displayed Chicano history, mythology and artwork for the community.
A woman wearing a headscarf holds up a picture book and reads to a group of children sat down in front of her. The reading is taking place in an outdoor area. Behind the woman and group of children is a black iron fence. Beyond that is an open area of green grass and tall trees.
The Ahlan Wa Sahlan Pan-Arabic Celebration at the Anaheim Public Library highlights the contributions, history and culture of Arab Americans and pays tribute to the unofficial Little Arabia neighborhood on Brookhurst Street, a 10-minute drive from the library.
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