Humanities Institute

Natalie Kamajian is a Ph.D. Student in Culture and Performance at UCLA. She is a practitioner and teacher of Armenian vernacular dances, which are largely understudied within the fields of both Dance and Armenian studies. Her research inquiries stem from an in-depth dance practice spanning several years in Armenia. Her PhD project is a multilingual […]

Ofelia Esparza and Rosanna Ahrens Esparza Chicana visual artists, Ofelia Esparza (b.1932) and Rosanna Esparza Ahrens (b.1961), are master altaristas (altar makers) born and raised in East Los Angeles, CA. Ofelia is highly recognized for her Day of the Dead ofrendas (altars/shrines), which have been shown nationally and internationally since 1979. Her work celebrates her […]

Pablo Méndez Granadino Founder and Director of Armonía Cuscatleca Pablo Méndez Granadino is a violinist and community music workshop leader. He is the director of Armonia Cuscatleca, a nonprofit that offers music classes in underserved communities in El Salvador. He trained with Musicians Without Borders in the Netherlands and participated in “Soy Musica” a nation […]

Please join us for a performance by Vijay Gupta & Dominic Cheli followed by a conversation. Vijay Gupta is a violinist and social justice advocate. An esteemed performer, communicator, educator and citizen-artist, Gupta is a leading advocate for the role of the arts and music to heal, inspire, provoke change, and foster social connection. Vijay […]

Michelle Tellez Dr. Michelle Téllez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona. Her public and academic scholarship focuses on transnational community formations, mothering, and gendered migration along the U.S./Mexico border. She has a long history in grassroots organizing projects, digital media and community-based arts and performance. […]

Phung Huynh is a Los Angeles-based artist and educator with a practice in drawing, painting, public art, and community engagement. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and has completed public art commissions throughout Los Angeles County. Phung Huynh is Professor of Art at Los Angeles Valley College . Huynh has served as Chair of the […]

Virginia Grise will discuss the evolution of her career as a theatre artist, from blu to her most current project, Riding the Currents of the Wilding Wind, inspired by Helena María Viramontes' epic novel Their Dogs Came with Them. The talk will include excerpts of her work and her methodological and artistic practices for creating […]

Michael McCarty learned storytelling from his mother. And his life has indeed been one heaven of a story to tell: a student activist, Black Panther, US Army martial arts instructor, acupuncturist, world traveler, spiritual seeker, construction worker, storyteller, husband, father, and crazy friend, he first learned about professional storytelling in 1992 when he met Joel […]