Ancestor Mask Making w/Maria Elena Cruz & Ronieka Pinckney

Make masks and headpieces that are infused with culturally relevant stories from the past, reflections from the present, and visions of the future. Maria Elena Cruz and Ronieka Pinkney lead this journey to imagine and create art that will be featured in the annual Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks at the Leimert Park Art Walk.

The mask making workshop will reflect upon the type of seeds we wish to plant in our community/village and will allow participants to take time to share about what their ancestors have taught them. Reflections will be incorporated into a “totem pole” head piece that will include masks and symbols of community and visions of how we would like seeds to blossom using various analogies of floral, plant or food from a garden in relation to life.

Leimert Park's Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks is an annual celebration of our ancestors and an invocation for the South Central LA community. Founded in 2010 by artists Najite Agindotan and Ben Caldwell in collaboration with LA Commons, Festival of Masks is a multicultural, multigenerational, and multimedia arts event that champions the vast identities of the African diaspora.

The workshop is free! Please consider donating when you register to support the Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks and support LA Commons in reaching our $15,000 goal as we connect youth, artists, and communities together to create transformative change.

Your donation of any amount supports the artists and cultural bearers who co-create the Festival of Masks workshops, dialogues, and celebration.

Learn more at lacommons.org

Host or Publisher LA Commons