The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) will celebrate the opening of its Southern California office on August 21, 2012 from 6:00- 9:00 p.m. at Grand Performances at California Plaza in downtown Los Angeles.  This event, produced in association with Grand Performances, will offer an evening of convivial traditional arts sharing by several performing and visual artists drawn from ACTA's 15-year program history in the region.  Together, ACTA's board, staff and some of southern California's traditional cultural treasures will impart the story of ACTA and its important work.

Please join us for this special program which will showcase a small segment of performing and visual traditional artists who have participated in ACTA's programs from southern California.  You'll see Senegalese master drummer, composer, and choreographer Malik Sow; Kumeyaay singer Stanley Rodriguez from the Santa Ysabel Rancheria; dancers from Long Beach's Khmer Arts Academy; Mariachi Tesoro de San Fernando; a voguing crew from REACH LA; and musicians & dancers from the Garifuna American Heritage Foundation.  Demonstrating artisans include: Ofelia Esparaza, an altarista from E. Los Angeles; Gary McClintock, a Descanso saddlemaker; African American quilter Allyson Allen; Chris Low a restoration expert in Chinese Lion dance costume; and Lorene Sisquoc with Nex'wetem, a collective of S. California Indian basketweavers.

If you're not able to join us for this historic event, please feel free to make a celebratory contribution to the Southern California office:  www.tinyurl.com/actadonate. 

Visit ACTA's website for more details about the event or to read the full press release about ACTA's new Southern California office. 

Demonstrations and conversation will be led by master Ohlone basketweaver Linda Yamane; Hawaiian traditional healer and executive director of the Honu Wellness Center, Suzi Kaiona'okalani Ko; and staff from the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, and others.

Visit ACTA's website for more information.