Stories + News

We at ACTA send our condolences to the family of master duduk artist Jivan Gasparyan, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 92. Jivan (sometimes spelled Djivan) was an Armenian musician of great accomplishment based in Sherman…

Congratulations to the beloved California artists honored this year with the 2021 National Heritage Fellowship  from the National Endowment for the Arts: Philippine Rondalla master Tagumpay de Leon of Burbank and Mexican-American rock band Los Lobos of Los Angeles!…

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) will join the Southwest Folklife Alliance and the First Peoples Fund to strengthen the folk & traditional arts field through a new National Folklife Network. The Southwest Folklife Alliance (SFA), a nonprofit organization affiliated with the University of…

55 organizations recognized statewide

We grieve the loss of eight people, including six women of Asian descent, who were murdered in Atlanta on March 16. To the families and communities of Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and…

For the 21st year of the program, 21 new pairs were awarded

In light of this year’s movements responding to over-policing and the global conversation on how we can dismantle white supremacy in all our institutions, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts calls on our supporters and constituents to support campaigns that reallocate funding to basic human needs…

We are excited to welcome Nestor Guerrero to the ACTA team as the Sounds of California Archives and Media Intern based in Los Angeles! Nestor will be working with our LA team on our Sounds of California: Boyle Heights program, assisting…

Zakarya and Naomi Diouf of Oakland and Hugo Morales of Fresno Honored

ACTA Stands in Defense of Black Lives

At ACTA we believe that social distance doesn’t have to mean social isolation. That’s why we have introduced a new series of live videos we are calling Shelter Together, bringing you LIVE performances, demonstrations, and words of wisdom from traditional artists across California on our social media channels!…

In an effort to support traditional artists and organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting loss of bookings, programming, and income, ACTA has compiled a shortlist of funding and readiness resources. This page will be updated as new funding and support resources become available.