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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September 28, 2025
Remembering Malcolm Margolin, 1940-2025
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…
August 20, 2025
Convening with Culture Bearers: Reflections from the Living Cultures and Apprenticeship Gathering in LA
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…
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.
