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Maria Salazar
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican celebration with indigenous and Catholic roots. Observed on November 1 and 2 each year, the holiday honors deceased friends and family. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars (ofrendas) honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and…
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Maqueos Music
Oaxacan music
In 2013, the Asociation de la Pelota Mixteca de California Central received funding from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program for the Festival de la Pelota Mixteca, taking place each weekend between May and June. The Oaxcan game of pelota is played by men utilizing an ornate…
In 2013, Comunidad Tlacolulence en Los Angeles (COTLA) received funding from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program for two observances of this Oaxacan indigenous community. The Mayordormia Tlacolulence, celebrated elaborately with pageantry and symbolism on particular saints’ days, will take place in October in West Los Angeles.
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Grupo Cultura Yoso Nuu Viko
Grupo Cultura Yoso Nuu Viko was formed in 2008 by parents and youth interested in preserving and transmitting indigenous Mixtec traditions and culture, specifically traditional sones and chilenas of the San Juan Mixtepec region of Oaxaca. Played on violins and guitars, this music plays a crucial role during social events such…
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Self Help Graphics & Art
Founded in 1973, Self Help Graphics & Arts (SHG) is the leading nonprofit visual arts center serving the predominantly Latino community of Los Angeles. SHG’s mission is to develp and nuture Latino artists in printmaking. SHG seeks to advance Latino art broadly through programming, exhibitions, and outreach…
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Asociacion Mayab
Asociacion Mayab’s mission is to create the conditions that will allow for the optimal development of the Maya community living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Asociacion Mayab was founded in 2004 by a group of Maya immigrants concerned about the gradual loss of the language and values of their…
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Center for World Music
The Center for World Music is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to foster awareness and understanding of the world’s performing arts traditions through study abroad programs, teaching, and performance. In 2013, Center for World Music received a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Programs for Celebrating…
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La Peña Cultural Center
La Peña Cultural Center is a vibrant community cultural center with a national reputation and a global vision that promotes peace, social justice, and cultural understanding through the arts, education, and social action. As a welcoming gathering place, La Peña provides opportunities for artists to share…
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San Pablo Tijaltepec
Photo courtesy of the organization. In 1999, around 20 people native of San Pablo Tijaltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, arrived in Taft, California (a small community in the southeastern part of Kern County). As it happens in many other places, more people from the same community continued to settle in Taft. Now…
