Stories + News

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), the Administering Organization for the California Arts Council’s Folk and Traditional Arts Grant Program, is awarding 68 grants totaling $622,500. With the generous support of the California Arts Council, a state agency,…

After years of transformative work with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), Quetzal Flores, a dynamic Chicano artivist and cultural worker, is embarking on new adventures. While we are sad to see him go, we are excited to see what the future holds for him.

As the year draws to a close, Taproot Fellow and Japanese koto musician Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto reflects on the cultural richness of her Japanese American upbringing and how it shapes her family’s holiday celebrations today. Shirley shared with ACTA her unique blend of traditions, highlighting the deep significance…

We are thrilled to announce that ACTA Co-Founder and Executive Director, Amy Kitchener, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Folklore Society (AFS), the highest recognition in the field of folklore. Announced at the AFS Annual Meeting, this prestigious honor celebrates Amy’s transformative contributions to public…

Recently, ACTA staff traveled to Albuquerque and Puerto Rico for the American Folklore Society Annual Meeting and NASAA (National Assembly of State Arts Agencies), joining folklorists, artists, and arts administrators from across the country. Read on to see our highlights from an inspiring conference season!   “Taproot AF”: Radical…

This Diwali, we celebrate the rich cultural and storytelling heritage of South India through Anuradha Suresh and her apprentice, Amritavarshini Gunasekaran. Fremont’s Anuradha Suresh, a classical musician and skilled harikatha performer, is a mentor in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program,…

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) announces its 2024 Apprenticeship Program cohort, investing $110,000 to support 22 mentor-apprentice pairs in preserving and advancing California’s diverse cultural traditions. Now entering its 24th cycle, ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program has supported California’s…

$50,000 fellowships to 25 traditional artists and culture bearers across the country

A couple dozen people, mostly women spanning multiple generations, filled the hall during a very rainy day in April at the Hmong Organizing for Progress and Empowerment (H.O.P.E.) Center in North Sacramento. https://actaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/P1022095.mp4 Lu Lee’s daughter Chue describes the traditional piece made by Lu’s sister so that…

The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and educator explores the depths of female, queer and Latine identity

98 artists, culture bearers, and organizations awarded statewide

Please join us in offering a warm welcome to three new ACTA staff members! Aliah, Juhi, and Nathan each bring a wealth of experience, cultural sensitivity, and dedication that will serve the artists, practitioners, and cultural organizations supported by ACTA throughout California, and beyond.