Kuruvungna Village Springs

Dec. 6, 2025 | 10am-1pm PST
$20 suggested donation - or pay what you wish!

River Sessions: Kiki’ing with the River

Kiki’ing with the River is an outdoor, artist-guided series along the Paayme Paxaayt (aka the LA River) that celebrates queer resilience and community activism through social sculptures and creative engagement. Each session highlights regional LGBTQIA2S+ artists and Indigenous culture bearers, featuring performances, sound, and multimedia installations that explore the balance between nature, control, and liberation. Co-curated by Tiffany Naiman and Juan Silverio, the series amplifies the voices of diverse and resilient queer communities.

About the artist

Deborah Caiola is an artist and educator based in Los Angeles. Trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in painting and the figure, she has won numerous awards including the Leeway Foundation’s Transformation Award. Interested in Network Theory as it is applied through science, sociology, and art, her goal is to investigate the visual correlation between the systems we create and those which exist in nature; how they mirror each other and are rooted in interdependence. She is inspired by the intricate networks of human connection, the invisible threads that bind us, and the stories that emerge from our relationships.  Caiola works passionately to champion feminist ideals and social justice through her art. Her work embodies transformation and encourages those who engage with it to reflect on relationality and connection.

About River Sessions
River Sessions is an ongoing series of creative site visits that bring artists and cultural practitioners to the LA River to create public activations engaging themes of environmental justice, resilience, and community storytelling. By centering historically marginalized perspectives, River Sessions foster critical dialogue and deepen cultural connections to the River.
Join us 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--we will learn about the River’s ephemeral histories and imagine it’s ecological futures, all while exploring diverse and dynamic cultural responses to the watershed.
Watch this 10min documentary featuring our three Indigenous Advisors whose artist residency on the River culminated with: A Day of Joyful Intervention: Returning the River