CALÓ Cultura: Community contributions welcome for upcoming doc, exhibition

While creative endeavors like films and art exhibitions most often spring from the minds of professional producers and curators, every now and then they require not only support from the community, but also their personal involvement. This week’s CALÓ Cultura lists two such projects, both centered on L.A.’s East Side, that can only be made better and more comprehensive by the inclusion of objects, photos, videos and more collected over the years by fans of these iconic cultural treasures: Self Help Graphics and Art and the Eastside Sound. Check out the details below, and don’t forget to send your info to abelardo@latinomedia.org to get listed in this column.   

The producers of “Art as Activism,” a documentary chronicling the evolving legacy of Self Help Graphics & Art, the iconic East L.A. grassroots arts organization, seek objects and archival footage at a Community Call at Avenue 50 Studios on Saturday, September 7 from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. The film will examine the vision of founder and Franciscan nun Sister Karen Boccalero and the creative contributions of the legion of Chicano artists who made Self Help their artistic home. Types of objects sought include posters, flyers, photos, post cards, t-shirts, videos of performances and exhibitions and more. Click here for information on the community call as well as the documentary itself.

As downtown L.A.’s LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes prepares for its upcoming exhibition, “A Great Day in East L.A.: Celebrando the Eastside Sound,”  a multi-media exhibition exploring the dynamic musical influences of East L.A. artists who developed an eclectic musical identity and history, it’s once more organizing a Community Call for objects, videos and more that may be on display once the show opens in 2025. LA Plaza’s curators, along with guest curators Piero Giunti and Jorge Leal, are accepting posters, flyers, photos, concert t-shirts, videos and other other East L.A. music-related objects that will show case how the rich musical tradition of L.A. Eastside became known all over the world. Community members are invited to bring their objects to the museum on Saturday, September 14 from 12 to 2pm. Detailed information on the community call, including an application form, is available by clicking here.

Join queer Puerto Rican drag king Ramón for a socially conscious comedy show called “The Ramón Show: ¡Revolución!” This live taping, tackling systemic oppression through jokes, games, drag and audience interaction, takes place on Monday, September 9 at L.A.’s Lyric Hyperion Theater & Bar. Get ready to laugh, cheer, and let Ramón ignite your passion and fuel your desire for change, all while turning the late-night landscape on its head, challenging the status quo where the typical white male hetero host reigns supreme. Winner of the 2022 Fringe Scholarship, Ramón AKA Ruby Marez (she/her) is an L.A.-based comedian, drag performer, writer and first-generation Latina who, for the past 15 years has been writing and performing improv, sketch, and solo shows in New York and L.A. Click here for tickets.

Orange County’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts celebrates the rich and diverse cultures of the LatinX community with their LatinX Heritage Month Kickoff on Saturday, September 14 with traditional and contemporary music, captivating dance performances, and curated local vendors offering unique crafts. The kickoff features local music and dance talents with a diverse scope of Latin sounds and styles, including local favorites Betty’s Mustache showcasing their unique style intertwining Hip Hop, rock, and cumbia making for an electric fusion, along with DJ Allie Rock and a performance from a Bolivian Dance group. Family-friendly activities include raffles and giveaways, a photo booth, a screen printing cart, food trucks, an Orange County Public Library Book Mobile, lawn games, kid-friendly crafts, and a dancefloor to let loose and enjoy the spirit of the community. Click here for more info.

One of Latin America’s most prominent and popular folklore musical traditions, cumbia, will be on full display in Los Angeles from September 20 through 27 with vibrant events, concerts, film screenings and informative panel discussions. Called Cumbia Week in Los Angeles, this series of events will celebrate and showcase cumbia music's rich cultural influence, origins, and continued reinvention, highlighting the genre's deep roots and its ongoing evolution, bringing together different communities through music and dance. Here’s the lineup:

Friday, Sept. 20- Opening Show of Reina de Cumbia at the Teragram Ballroom. Click for tickets here.

Saturday, Sept. 21- Noche de Cumbia in partnership with Cumbiatón LA at The Ford. Click here for tickets.

Sunday, Sept. 22 - Noche de Cumbia as part of the KCRW Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. Click here for tickets.

Monday, Sept. 23 - Reina de Cumbia CDMX21 Exhibition Opening Night at the Mexican Consulate, L.A. Click here for free tickets.

Wednesday, Sept. 25 - Reina de Cumbia CDMX21 Documentary Showings at the Mexican Consulate, L.A. Click here for free tickets.

Thursday, Sept. 26 – Reina de Cumbia CDMX21 Exhibition Closing + Panel Discussion at the Mexican Consulate in L.A. Click for free tickets here.

Friday, Sept. 27 - Reina de Cumbia CDMX21 Cumbiateca Closing Party. Secret DTLA Warehouse Venue to be announced. Click here for tickets.

Latino culture lands in the Inland Empire city of Temecula with the first annual Fandango featuring Conjunto Jardín, showcasing the talents of Libby and Cindy Harding as they revitalize the vibrant son Jarocho traditions from Verucruz, Mexico on Saturday, September 21 at the Old Town Temecula Community Theatre. The quintet fuses rock-inspired energy with a dynamic Peruvian cajón and bass rhythm section and harp-like keyboard, forging a contemporary yet authentic traditional style. Guest dancer Delilah Vazquez will improvise percussive zapateado footwork, and as special guest, Peruvian guitar player Ciro Hurtado will open the show and the join the band. Click here for info and tickets.  

La Feria de los Moles celebrates its 17th Anniversary of culture and tradition with two days to taste the succulent variations of this rich traditional Mexican dish. This free gastronomic celebration takes place on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29 at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown L.A.  Succulant variations of this rich traditional Mexican dish will be offered, including mole Poblano, mole de camarón, pipian verde, huaxmole, mole negro-Oaxaca, mole almendrado, mole vegano and mole blanco. Adding to the gourmet delights is this year's guest dish of honor, chiles en Nogada, prepared by a chef from the Mexican state of Puebla. Also, in anticipation of Dia de los Muertos, a giant mole ofrenda will be on display. Click here for more information.