River Session #6: Miles 27-26 | Frogtown

LA River Public Art Project | www.LARiverPublicArtProject.org

Join LA River Public Art Project to experience art, culture, and place along the 51 miles of the LA River. In the spirit of Hyonaayn’ar--a Tongva word that means both teacher and student--participants will learn about the River’s ephemeral histories and imagine its ecological futures, all while exploring the diverse cultural responses to the water.

Each month we’ll meander a little further down the River with artists, Indigenous Culture Bearers and local experts: beginning in January at the River’s sources in the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains, and concluding in December at the River's end in Long Beach. Watch for surprises around the bend!

Maaw'nga (aka Frogtown) in the heart of the Elysian Valley offers the most beautiful and almost-natural experience along the River. Here the community has embraced the River and increasingly celebrates and responds to the diversity of trees, plants and animals that the verdant conditions here support. Mutual aid, food and housing justice are topics that can only be discussed in the context of the land.

We are partnering with the social community based non-profit, LA-Mas, for a day along the River. We will start with a grounding and talk with Tongva Culture Bearer, Tina Calderon, then visiting a local artist’s studio, the internationally-acclaimed chincanx artist, Tanya Aguiñiga for a hands-on textile workshop, after which we will walk with LA-Mas along the river path to a nearby park for a picnic.

Dario and Sheila of Mercadito will speak about their mutual aid efforts in Elysian Valley over lunch prepared by Elysian Valley resident and community serving entrepreneur, Cynthia Leong and aguas frescas provided by Lalo (aka Eduardo López).

Bilingual - translation will be offered in English and Spanish.

Everyone is welcome - are you a Frogtown resident with a story to share? We'd love to hear it! Please inquire for reduced rate community passes.

Our meander will include:

• Grounding and talk with Culture Bearer, Tina Orduno Calderon, of Chumash, Tongva and Yoeme descent
• Visit and hands on workshop with Tanya Aguiniga
• Stroll upriver to a riverside park
• Lunch served by local vendors of Mercadito
• Talks centered on mutual aid as a community based system to thrive in place

We suggest that you please bring water, a hat, and wear appropriate walking shoes.

Parasols featuring commissioned art by Jess Gudiel are for sale now at event registration ($65) and available at the event: $75ea. Proceeds support our artists and programming.

Tour time: 10am - 1pm

__________________________

I wish you would

walk with me here

more often—

--Lewis MacAdams, The River: Book One

Tina Orduno Calderon is our lead advisor for our 2022/23 programming. Tina is a Culture Bearer of Gabrielino Tongva, Chumash and Yoeme descent. She is a singer, songwriter, poet, traditional dancer and storyteller. She is wife, mother, grandmother, sister and auntie to many. To date she has composed over a dozen songs in her ancestral languages of Tongvé and Chumash. Additionally, Tina strongly believes in honoring her ancestors by sharing their history, educating others about Indigenous truths and inspiring others to respect the land, waters, sacred elements and environment. Instagram @lalas_ song

Tanya Aguiñiga was born in 1978 in San Diego, California, and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. An artist, designer, and craftsperson, Aguiñiga works with traditional craft materials like natural fibers and collaborates with other artists and activists to create sculptures, installations, performances, and community-based art projects. Drawing on her upbringing as a binational citizen, who daily crossed the border from Tijuana to San Diego for school, Aguiñiga’s work speaks of the artist’s experience of her divided identity and aspires to tell the larger and often invisible stories of the transnational community.

Northeast LA Mercadito (or “Little Market”) is a market-style food distribution where families can receive free, fresh produce. LA Más first launched in September 2020, in partnership with community organizations Food Forward, Elysian Valley Community Garden, LA Compost and other local partners. As of May 2022, Mercadito is fully led and operated by local residents. A group of 9 residents make up the Mercadito leadership team and are supported by 40+ regular volunteers. LA Más continues to provide advisory support to sustain the program.

An offshoot of the Northeast LA Community Response, the Mercadito began as a way to reduce barriers to food access while creating new initiatives with our neighbors. It evolved into a weekly resource for neighbors – alleviating food insecurity, while serving as a place of community building and learning. Residents from different neighborhoods across Northeast LA gather, while learning about urban gardens, compost and food waste. Guests from the community and local organizations also visit to share resources with residents.

Veronica Lomeli is a resident of North East Los Angeles of 19 years. Lamely is passionate about language justice and strongly believes that all people have the right to speak and be understood in the language they feel most comfortable communicating in.

Over the last decade, she has focused on building capacity and has joined efforts with community based organizations to advocate for language justice. As a result, she has witnessed an increased participation from community members by having language inclusion.

With more than 10 years of experience in the field of Spanish /English translation and interpretation, Lamely has provided language interpretation for City local governments, school boards, government agencies and many CBO’s remotely and in person. Lamely also counts on a network of trusted colleagues for different language capacities.

Cynthia Leong is the second daughter of a family of seven; she has three brothers and an elder sister, a mother and a father. Leong was born in Yangon, Myanmar before relocating to Los Angeles, California due to economic hardships. She got her cooking from her mother who once owned a restaurant back in Myanmar and made a decent living. Cynthia enjoys making Burmese and Chinese food. Cynthia Leong will be providing food for the event.

Eduardo López, conocido por Lalo, ha vivido en la comunidad de Elysian Valley por 24 años. A Eduardo le gusta ayudar para mejorar las condiciones de su comunidad. Actualmente esta apoyando a Mercadito con la distribución de alimentos para que las personas puedan recibir un poco de ayuda.

Eduardo López, known as Lalo, has lived in the Elysian Valley community for 24 years. Eduardo likes to help improve conditions in his community. He is currently supporting Mercadito with food distribution so that people can receive a little help. Lalo will be providing refreshing aguas frescas for the attendees.

Host or Publisher LA River Public Art Project