River Sessions

LA River Arts, El BiciCrófono, and Los Angeles Poet Society invite you to join us in honoring the resilience of our community while raising vital fire relief funds. Together, we’ll bike the LA River alongside poets from across Southern California, uniting through poetry, music, and shared space. This event is a testament to the strength of our community, a celebration of togetherness, and a step toward healing in the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires.

A special River Session with Los Angeles Poet Society and our lead Cultural Advisor, Tina Calderon — an accomplished poet and songwriter of Gabrielino Tongva, Chumash, Yoeme, and Chicana descent. We stepped through a “poetry portal” to experience the Sepulveda River Basin through the context of poetics, the Magical, and reconnection.

A guided tour and talk with Debra Scacco, the co-director of the multi-year research project Brackish Water Los Angeles, a Getty PST ART: Art & Science Collide exhibit named for water that results from saltwater and freshwater meeting. The project considers the larger implications of in-betweenness, including issues of access, inclusion, ecological racism, and cultural/class system interchanges along Los Angeles’ waterways.

Creative field research engaging Glendale Narrows, where soft-bottom portions of the River commingle with the northern edge of Griffith Park, a Miyawaki micro forest and active equestrian trails. Guides: urban ecologist Kat Superfisky, plant horticulturist Katherine Pakradouni, and special guests from Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Celebrate the culmination of LA RIVER ARTS Camp with music, a children’s art show, and hands-on art-making activities under the canopy of the mature sycamores at Hermon Park in NELA. The event is hosted by our summer camp partner, Art in the Park.

An intimate afternoon of performances exploring our emotional connections to the River, nature and each other. Zine giveaway of poems and art considering the LA River as an artistic collaborator.

An arts festival along the LA River, on the greenway between Fulton and Coldwater Canyon. Showcasing immersive public art and hands-on workshops by 10 SFV artists and the performance, Reflections: How Does it Feel? featuring15 poets, musicians and dancers. Zine giveaway to all attendees!

A segment of Judith F. Baca’s Great Wall of Los Angeles, with LARA River Sessions participants in the background. Photo by Stephen Linsley.

Join poet Nancy Lynée Woo for a walk at Point Fermin Park and artists at Angels Gate Cultural Center for hands-on art-making and closing reception with Lynk Collective, featured in the "Material Recovery" exhibit. Conduct creative field research and prompts from Nancy Lynée Woo as inspiration to connect with your own emotional landscapes.

These sessions are part of a community-led, multi-disciplinary art project that invites participants to reflect upon the LA River, climate change, social justice, and the emotional interconnectivity of these phenomena, culminating in a printed zine and public performance.

HOW DOES IT FEEL? Creative Field Research led by poet Nancy Woo and Kathryn Dressendorfer, Surfrider Foundation. First in a series using poetry and art to explore the interconnection of nature and self.

A special year-end session with Tina Orduño Calderon, the Gabrielino Tongva and Chumash Culture Bearer, at the beach where land meets water exploring the rich cultural heritage and connection to the River and the Sea, followed by hands-on learning at AltaSea, an ocean research institute, with family-friendly activities fostering a deeper connection and understanding of the aquatic world.

Guided by talented artist Angela Willcocks. Explore the Wrigley Greenbelt along the LA River and connect with communities in the area. Angela's diverse artistic mediums and community-focused approach promise a unique experience. Gained insights into the impact of industrial pollution and the intersection of animals, history, culture, and social justice.

South Gate, a community that celebrates its connection to the LA River each summer with the SELA Arts Festival that takes place IN the LA River channel. Did you miss it? Then you won’t want to miss this River Session as we dive into SELA and why they love the LA River right along the 6th Street Viaduct.

South Gate, a community that celebrates its connection to the LA River each summer with the SELA Arts Festival that takes place IN the LA River channel. Did you miss it? Then you won’t want to miss this River Session as we dive into SELA and why they love the LA River right along the 6th Street Viaduct.

An immersive consideration of the vibrant Sixth Street Viaduct, an iconic bridge that connects the downtown arts district with Boyle Heights. The golden hour event included readings by Arturo Romo from his novel, co-authored with Sesshu Foster, ELADATL, a bespoke letterpress print by Daniel Gonzalez for each participant, tacos, and hands-on artmaking with Self Help Graphics! At sundown, El Rio performed on a sacred hill overlooking the 6th Street Bridge.

Dive into the work of Metabolic Studio by Lauren Bon! Bending the River is an infrastructure artwork underway in the river channel. This early evening session will include tours of the River Lab and Undevelopment 1 & 2. Don’t miss this in-depth look at a historic work in progress.

Start the day with Tongva Culture Bearer, Tina Calderon, alongside one of the prettiest parts of the River. Participate in a hands-on textile art workshop with renowned artist, Tanya Aguiñagas at her studio, then walk to a picnic in a riverside park with LA-Más and Mercadito.

We welcomed visitors to the LA FREEWAVES festival, Heal Hear Here. Pictured: River Ramblers who became our social sculpture, BE THE RIVER!

Talks by Tina Orduno Calderon, TreePeople, Melanie Winter of Studio City-based, The River Project, Elaine Rene-Wiessman, architect and co-founder.

The Great Wall by Judy Baca / Guided by SPARC historians and contributors

VIP Tour of Judy Baca/World Wall @ MOCA Geffen/ Curator talk by Assistant Curator Anastasia Kahn.

Guided walk w/ artists Miles Lewis, RFX-1 and 11:11 Projects co-founders Addy Gonzalez and Erin Stone to recently completed murals. Muralists gave artist talks at each mural - plus performance by Gr818ers!

Headwaters in Canoga Park to Sources in the foothills/ Chumash Elder Jim Garcia, Tongva Singer Joe Calderon, & Ecologist Kat Superfisky