Happening October 21, 2023, Procession is a civic activation that traces historical courses of the Los Angeles River. It is a celebration of water in the form of a dynamic social sculpture that starts in the streets of LA with three walking performances. Charted across land that once was water, all walking routes lead to a festival at the LA State Historic Park.
Each performance is guided by a local artist, including members of the Tongva and Chumash tribal communities—i.e., Los Angeles’s First Peoples—Lazaro Arvizu Jr. (Gabrielino/Tongva) and Tina Calderon (Gabrielino Tongva, Chumash, Yoeme), as well as Little Tokyo’s Nobuko Miyamoto. While retracing the river’s former paths on foot, Arvizu Jr., Calderon, and Miyamoto share distinctive cultural practices that reflect their respective origins and traditions.
All are welcome to join a procession! Participants have the opportunity to follow a prominent, local culture bearer alongside other performing artists who collaborate with each walking cohort. All participants are invited to mark this unique occasion by wearing and carrying reflective fiber and paper-based sculptures. Hand-built by members of the larger community, each light-weight sculpture represents an example of river flora or fauna.
Funding and production support for this performance is provided by Fulcrum Arts.