Stories + News

Click here to read this article in English. El pasado 19 de septiembre tuve el honor de participar en el V Congreso Internacional sobre Violencias en las Migraciones, organizado por la Secretaría de Desarrollo Institucional de la UNAM, la ENES Morelia UNAM, el Proyecto Interdisciplinario de Interacción…

Visite esta página en Español aquí. On September 19, I had the honor of participating in the 5th International Congress on Violence in Migration, organized by the Secretaría de Desarrollo Institucional (Office for Institutional Development, UNAM), ENES Morelia UNAM, the Interdisciplinary Project for Social Interaction and…

For nearly three decades, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) has led the field in lifting up the artists, cultural practitioners, and communities that sustain California’s living traditions. Through its statewide network and programs, ACTA creates spaces where artists can exchange knowledge, build solidarity, and shape the…

A portrait of Malcolm Margolin in Eureka, CA, 2018. Photo: S. Saraswat-Sullivan/ACTA. Our dear friend and ACTA co-founder, Malcolm Margolin, has passed. Malcolm, a tireless advocate for Native California culture and history, founded the celebrated Berkeley-based Heyday books in 1974, where he authored The Ohlone…

ACTA, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, JCOD, and mural workshop participants pose with certificates awarded by LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. Photo Credit: Monica Almeida. On August 21, 2025, ACTA proudly unveiled REDEEMED at the Antelope Valley D.O.O.R.S Community Reentry…

Caption A core part of ACTA’s mission is to create spaces where culture bearers, artists, and grassroots cultural organizations can be in dialogue about the traditional arts field, share resources, and learn from each other. Listening directly to the artists and practitioners we work with is a…

Building a national community of traditional artists rooted in culture, justice, and care

Haejin Bang drums in the Art Council Garden. Photo courtesy of the artist. This summer, in honor of LGBTQ Pride and Disability Pride Months, we’re proud to feature Haejin Bang (they/he) — Director of Cultural Arts & Base Building at the Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust (BVCLT) in Koreatown,…

Alma Cielo, Ofelia Esparza, and Rosanna Esparza-Ahrens clap at the Akwaaba Food Forest in June 2025. Photo: Calethia DeConto/ACTA. On Sunday, June 8, ACTA gathered with artists, neighbors, and culture bearers at Akwaaba Food Forest in Pasadena for Healing Through…

Gabriel Gonzalez with fellow ACTA Art Breaks In teaching artists open the Justice + Art Jam in Los Angeles in May 2025. Photo: S. Gray/ACTA. On May 24, ACTA proudly joined a dynamic lineup of nonprofits and cultural workers at Freewaves’ Justice + Art Jam…

We’re proud to highlight three pairs in our 2024 Apprenticeship Program, which concluded last month. Each of these three pairs is dedicated to preserving and passing on the art of basketweaving in Native California communities. These mentors not only serve as master weavers but also function as…