20 Years of ACTA-vism / New Digital Media Specialist / Cultures of the Colorado River

20 Years of ACTA-vism!

Show your Support by Giving $20, $200, or $2,000.

In 2017, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts marked twenty years of serving California's folk and traditional artists, from cowboy poetry and African American quilting, to Hmong qeej music and queer voguing dance competitions. Over these two decades, ACTA has built an astonishing and resilient community built with visionary people like you-folks who practice, perform, engage, advocate and admire the rich work of traditional artists and the communities that surround them.

Click through for a look at our accomplishments, and the premiere of three short films showcasing some of our most dynamic programming of 2017: Arts in Corrections, Community Leadership Project, and Building Healthy Communities in Boyle Heights.

Our goal for the 2017 Donor Campaign is to raise $10,000. Would you consider making a gift-perhaps $20 or $200 or ( goodness!) $2,000 for ACTA's 20th anniversary--and help us continue our work? Or better yet, give a little once a month in the form of a recurring gift throughout the year.

GIVE NOW

If you don't want to give online, show your ACTA-vism by sending a check to ACTA's Fresno office at 744 P Street #307, Fresno, CA 93721.

Our board, staff, and thousands of artists join me in thanking you for your generous partnership and support and for helping people keep California's traditions a central part of life today and tomorrow.

Meet ACTA's New Digital Media Specialist, Sonia Narang

Sonia Narang is ACTA's first Digital Media Specialist , based in Los Angeles . She will be supporting ACTA's media and communications efforts, including the website , social medi a, and the creation of new digital media projects . Sonia is a radio and multimedia journalist from Los Angeles who covers social issues, culture, art, music, the environment, education, and health in underrepresented communities. Her reporting also focuses on the lives of women and girls, and the challenges they face around the world. Sonia's journalism work has taken her across India, Nepal, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Germany, Denmark, southern Africa, and the United States, and she shares her photos on Instagram @sonianarang. She has reported stories for Public Radio International's The World, News Deeply , the BBC, The New York Times, PBS, Time.com, NPR, and others.

Mapping the Ecosystems and Cultures of the Colorado River

In a partnership with Arizona's Southwest Folklife Alliance, ACTA presents a preview to the Rivers & Headwaters Project.

Media-maker Arlene Islas has been video-documenting the Colorado River and its flow along the border of California and Arizona for the Rivers & Headwaters Project, interviewing indigenous tribes with strong connections to the river. Read Arlene's fieldnotes for a taste of more to come.

An extension of this project, Radio Bilingüe tells the story of a veteran activist in Blythe, CA named Alfredo Figueroa: " Decades before the current fight in Standing Rock to protect the waters of the Missouri River from oil contamination, there was the less known battle of the Chemehuevi Tribe to protect the Colorado River from toxic waste. At the center of that epic battle was veteran local activist Alfredo Figueroa." Listen to the new radio piece in English or in Spanish .

Funding for this project provided by Cultural Conservation Corps, through an agreement with WESTAF with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Photo: 83-year-old Alfredo Acosta Figueroa on the Colorado River in Blythe, California Photo by Valeria Fernández/Radio Bilingüe.

SAVE THE DATE: Join us in Los Angeles for Promise Zone Arts LIVE!

January 13, 2018 (12 - 4 PM)

Shatto Recreation Center

3191 W. 4th St., Los Angeles, CA. 90020

For the last year, the Promise Zone Arts team--a partnership between ACTA, L.A. Commons, the Youth Policy Institute, the Spatial Analysis Lab @ USC, and the L.A. Dept. of Cultural Affairs--has been surveying the Central L.A. communities of Pico Union, MacArthur Park, Westlake, Rampart Village, El Salvador Corridor, Koreatown, Historic Filipinotown, and Little Bangladesh to identify and document its cultural assets. On January 13th, PZA will host a community sharing event at Shatto Recreation Center with workshops, performances, food, and video highlights of the local Cultural Treasures who bring neighborhood vitality to the L.A. Promise Zone. Click HERE to RSVP.

To learn more about Promise Zone Arts, click HERE.

Photo: Jeny Amaya, Promise Zone Arts Field Coordinator/Videographer interviewing Sue Hee Ko (center), with one of her students, Juni Lim, interpreting. Photo by Beto Gonzalez.

New Tax Bill C ould Decimate Donations to Arts Organizations

Californians for the Arts is asking you to call your government leaders in Washington NOW.

With the House and Senate expected to vote on the final tax bill this week, there's still time to take action. The U.S. government's proposed changes would limit incentives and deductions for charitable donations to nonprofit arts and cultural groups. This could drastically cut charitable giving to all nonprofits, slashing an estimated $20 billion annually, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

You can dial 202-224-3121 to c all your lawmakers in Washington . Just press or say " 1" to connect with the Senate or " 2" to connect with the House. Inputting your zip code will get you to y our Senators and specific Congress member. You can also reach out to them online at the Americans for the Arts Action Fund campaign.

Learn more about how to take action HERE .

Gear up for California Arts Council grant season!

Does your organization want to make a difference through culture and creative expression? The California Arts Council wants to help! State arts funding saw a significant permanent increase this year. Greater investment equals greater opportunity to meet the demand for arts and cultural experiences across California. Don't miss out on your chance to apply for state arts grants. Register for a free informational webinar on Tuesday, December 5th to get an overview of the California Arts Council's 2017-18 grant programs. Click here to learn more about grants from the California Arts Council.

California Arts Council Call for Panelists

We're still seeking candidates to apply to serve on peer-review panels for our grant programs in the spring of 2018. With your help, we can ensure that our grant application review process is democratic, fair and representative of California's diversity. Apply by December 31. Learn more.

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts is the California Arts Council's official partner in serving the state's folk and traditional arts field.