Browse feature stories highlighting the work of California’s traditional artists and communities and check out the latest news from ACTA.
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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…
July 4, 2025
Honoring the Art of Native California Basket Weaving
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…
July 4, 2025
Ancient foods, living knowledge: The Wintu Council builds sustainability and resilience
In the heart of Big Bar, in rural Trinity County in Northern California, the Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation continues to deepen its connection to ancestral lands and traditions through the Wintu Educational and Cultural Council. Established by the tribe in 1961, the Council became a nonprofit in…
On a quiet day in Loleta, a small town in Northern California’s Humboldt County, ACTA Program Manager Aliah Najmabadi and I visited the home of Katie Bowie to witness the incredible artistry that connects her family to their Yurok, Hupa, Wiyot and Bear River heritage. Katie, a…
Janhavi Pillai (L) and Roshni Pillai (R) sit at their home in San Jose, CA. Photo: A. Najmabadi/ACTA. In early March, I visited the home studio of Roshni and Janhavi Pillai, a mother-daughter pair from San Jose participating in ACTA’s 2024 Apprenticeship Program. Together, they are engaged in a focused…
Justice-impacted participants writing a powerful song during musician Matt Amper’s Collective Songwriting Workshop at Five Keys Charter School in Lancaster, February 2025. In February, following our longstanding work with justice-impacted individuals, ACTA launched our newest series of free cultural arts workshops specifically designed for reentry populations in the Antelope Valley.
January 23, 2025
Celebrating the impact of Quetzal Flores at ACTA
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…
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,…
