Living Roots Festival

More about the project:

Living Roots: Putting Antelope Valley’s Culture on the Map!

Living Roots: Putting the Culture of the Antelope Valley on the Map! is a project that documents and celebrates the people, places, groups, and events that represent the identity of the communities of the Antelope Valley, focusing on cultural resources that support in making it stronger and healthier. The project is facilitated by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts with an Advisory Council of local leaders. We invite local residents, community groups, and organizations to support us in naming what has cultural value in the area!

Why are we doing this project and how are we engaging the community?

• Documenting and naming cultural resources empowers communities to control their own narrative, define what is valuable, and strengthen identity, health, and belonging.
• Through interviews, surveys, and events, community members identify meaningful people, places, customs, and traditions, which are then celebrated and used to guide collective planning. In the first year a community mapping team conducted 50 interviews in the community to build our initial list and the advisory and mapping team have also named other cultural resources. 
• Cultural treasures will be shared on a public website as a resource for joy, connection, and organizing, with direction shaped by an advisory council.

How to get involved!

• By contributing your ideas on the cultural treasures of the AV!
• By attending our celebration on October 19 and other events to continue to organize with your community!
• By using and sharing the cultural treasures microsite when it launches in 2026!

More about the Advisory Council Members

Since April 2025, a group of community leaders has been meeting monthly to inform this project and plan for the celebration in Oct 2025. They will continue to advise on the website and how this information can be leveraged in the community into the future.

Below a list of members and their bios.

Ethel Zafranco, ACTA Artist Fellow 

Ethel Zafranco is a first-generation Mexican-American artist, art therapy graduate student, mother, and co-founder of AQMNI—a mural company committed to healing through community-based art. Raised in an underserved community, she found early inspiration in local arts programs, which sparked her lifelong dedication to accessible arts education and mental health. After earning her B.A. in Studio Arts from Loyola Marymount University in 2012, Ethel began her career in corporate creative work before shifting to murals and community engagement. Alongside her husband, Carlo, she co-founded AQMNI and designed a mural mentorship program that integrates an art therapy framework with workforce readiness. In 2023, the program received a state grant funded by the California Creative Corps and now operates in partnership with the Antelope Valley Union High School District. The program has expanded to serve the re-entry community through collaborations with organizations like the Alliance of California Traditional Arts and D.O.O.R.S. Antelope Valley. 

Saidah Gray, ACTA Program Coordinator  

Los Angeles–based self-taught artist and curator, Saidah Gray, has spent the past decade cultivating her practice in oil painting. Through figurative works and self-portraits, she explores human development, color psychology, and the spiritual nature of art, inviting viewers to reflect, heal, and create new memories. Beyond the canvas, Saidah has curated exhibitions since 2018, representing over 50 artists and championing equity for artists of color. Passionate about art as a tool for healing and justice, she teaches workshops at nonprofits, aiming to nurture community, spiritual growth, and mental well-being through creativity.

Abby Martinez

Abby Martinez is a self-taught mixed media artist and homeschool mom of two creative boys, based in Rosamond, California. She creates spaces where people can slow down, connect with themselves, and enjoy the simple act of making something with their hands. Through her social emotional arts approach, Abby blends mindfulness, grounding practices, and movement with creative expression to support emotional well-being and self-awareness. She partners with local organizations to bring free and low-cost art groups, art-and-movement workshops, and to assist in large-scale murals and community paint days. Abby is passionate about meeting people where they are, whether they’re seasoned artists or just curious to try, and encouraging them to explore creativity without pressure or expectation. Art isn’t just about the finished piece; it’s about the shared moments, the conversations, and the small sparks of connection that can stay with someone long after the creating is done.

Ayinde Love is a poet and Black Activist challenging traditional thinking and sparking necessary conversation. He is the founder and CEO of GIFTED Arts & Activism.

Arleth Castañeda

Arleth Castañeda is an Indigenous Purépecha mujer and mama of one, a lifelong student of Mexican traditional medicine. As a mental health aid, advocate, peer support specialist, and full-spectrum doula, she walks alongside others in their wellness journeys. She serves as a creatrix of remembrance and resilience, helping people reconnect with their own inner power. A first-gen eldest daughter, Arleth carries the strength of a matriarch, guided by her ancestors and the kindness of her tongue. She is a sacred circle keeper, traditional land tender, promoter of traditional knowledge and arts, and modern-day medicine woman—sharing her voice, presence, and sacred frequency as part of her healing work.

Edwin Vasquez

A prolific, multifaceted artist, who has developed a unique visual language, Edwin Vasquez offers a breath of fresh air with his photography, digital images, poetry, and vibrant mixed-media work. Vasquez’s work is fearless in its social commentary, using rich forms and colors to provoke passionate responses to his ideas around the environment and human nature. Also, he is a photojournalist, published author, and videographer. His work has been shown at the Lancaster Museum of Art & History, Exposiciones Artisticas, USAC (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala), Eclectic Retrospective, AV College, DYK Knicker Project, University of Northampton, UK, Brand 48 Annual National Juried Exhibition (Received Associates award for the piece “New World Fashion”), Day of the Death Installation at the MOAH, and regularly participates in the Museum of Art & History’s Annual All-Media Juried Art Exhibit. Vasquez has participated, as both an Artist and Curator, in numerous local exhibitions.

Hazel Pineda

Hazel Pineda was born in 1990 in San Salvador, El Salvador. She is a professional dancer with 20 years of experience and currently the teacher and director of Ballet Folklorico Raíces de Mi Tierra, part of the organization SALVA. 

Simone Zulu is a retired preschool teacher from Guinea whose career in early childhood education spans more than forty-five years. A lifelong advocate for young learners, she has dedicated her work to strengthening the education of the most vulnerable—ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive. Today, she continues that commitment as a member of the Palmdale School District Board of Trustees, where she champions equity and access in public education. Beyond the classroom, Simone is deeply rooted in her cultural heritage. She is a knowledge keeper within her family, preserving and sharing the traditions of West African cuisine. Her greatest passion is creating opportunities that level the playing field for children in her community, carrying forward both her professional expertise and cultural wisdom as sources of guidance and inspiration.