THIS MAY Celebrate with Grand Park’s Celebration Spectrum by @dublab, a month-long public art installation, programming, and digital experience created for Art Rise in collaboration with @tanyaaguiniga and curator Mark “Frosty” McNeill (@dubfrosty). ⁠
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 The project creates space for the missed celebrations in Los Angeles following a year in isolation. As a proposed joyful ode, the installations highlight the importance of marking time through gathering and the mental health benefits of communal celebration. Additional programming and digital experiences reflect the multi-faceted ways in which Los Angeles County’s diverse populations express their joy. Grand Park’s Celebration Spectrum, a TMC Arts program, transforms the outdoor expanse of Grand Park into a deconstructed party, unfolding in a progression of four installations that represent the arc of an epic celebration. Responding to the hurt and heightened anxieties associated with the pandemic, the project offers the communities in Los Angeles the opportunity to heal and re-emerge thanks to the transformative power of the arts.⁠

 MAY (ONGOING)
The Gratitude Walk by Justin Michael Williams
Platform: We Rise Website / Grand Park’s Mixcloud

Did you know that taking a walk in nature has the power to boost your mood? Reset your energy with this 20-minute Gratitude Walk. Pop this in your ears, and take a walk through any neighborhood, park, or simply your backyard to wake up your positivity, energy, and power.

 MAY 13 AT 3PM
The Power of Resilience: Meditation for Freedom and Change by Justin Michael Williams
Platform: Facebook Live

Meditation is not just about reducing stress, it’s about knowing that no matter what’s going on in your life, that you have the power to overcome. In this powerful interactive 60-minute session, you will learn how to step into your truth and break through fear so you can take charge of your mental health, and feel the authentic freedom and power that is your birthright. This session welcomes to all ages, as well beginners and experienced meditators alike. Come as you are. You are enough. Let’s rise together.

 MAY 20 AT 6PM
Social Sparks: A conversation about celebrating resilience and fortifying communities through art.
Platform: Facebook Live

Celebration Spectrum artist Tanya Aguiñiga engages in dialogue with curator Mark “Frosty” McNeill of dublab for an exploration of how art can serve as a powerful vehicle for healing and joyful expression.

Aguñiga and Frosty will give a curatorial overview of their Celebration Spectrum installation for Art Rise at Grand Park and discuss how community-focused creative output can act as a positive feedback loop—reinforcing the public through reflections of their own innate strengths.

 MAY 27 AT 6PM
Audible Identities: A dialogue and music listening session about expressing personal heritage through sound.
Platform: Facebook Live

Featured Artists: Anna Luisa Petrisko, Maral, Xandão
Moderated by: Mark “Frosty” McNeill

Join us for a dynamic session in which we explore the joyful sounds of Los Angeles’ diverse ethnic diasporas through a conversation with dublab DJs who contributed to the expansive Celebration Tapestry audio collage.

Expect musings on Central American cumbia sonidera culture, the sounds of Persian springtime renewal, feel good Filipino sounds spanning space and time, and much more.

The artists will reflect on their deep personal connections with music, how it represents their distinct heritages, and interconnections within Los Angeles’ broad expanse.

We aim to illuminate how Los Angeles’ multi-faceted communities harness the power of celebratory music to bond and bring healing in times of challenge.

Find more info at werise.la/grandpark.