Katie Dorame is a visual artist of mixed Tongva and European American ancestry. She is a member of the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe and her Indigenous heritage informs her art making. Born in Los Angeles, a place rooted in Tongva history, Dorame grew up going on walks with her father, learning about the neighborhood’s layers of history
Students in Dr. Fiona Shen’s First Year Focus (FFC) class, “Exploring the Escalette Collection of Art: An Experiential Journey” recently installed a new exhibition in Roosevelt Hall, home to Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. “WE WERE THEN, WE ARE NOW,” is a student- curated exhibition created as part of Wilkinson College’s Engaging the World: Leading
Last week, Gerald Clarke, multimedia artist, enrolled member of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, and Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Riverside, came to campus as part of Wilkinson College’s Engaging the World: Leading the Conversation on Ethnic Studies initiative. Combining various media in his sculptures, paintings, works on paper, videos, performances, and installations, Clarke
Earlier this summer, the Escalette Collection introduced Mercedes Dorame, an artist whose work asserts the Tongva people’s presence by intervening in the landscapes of California. Today, we’d like to introduce another Tongva artist who utilizes visual imagery to amplify the voices of Indigenous peoples in Los Angeles: River Garza. River Garza is a Los Angeles-based
Almost a year ago, we announced that one of the most well-known paintings in the Escalette Collection – Untitled by Mary Corse – was going to be on loan to Copenhagen Contemporary in Copenhagen, Denmark. This summer, we were so fortunate to be able to go to Copenhagen to see our painting in their landmark exhibition about
Laurie Steelink is an artist, curator, musician, and member of the Akimel O’otham tribe (Gila River Indian Community). Born in 1960, in Phoenix, Arizona, she is part of a generation “that was impacted by one of the last vestiges of the U.S. Government’s active attempts at full hegemonic assimilation of Native Americans through the promotion
The Escalette Collection is excited to share our new mini podcast series hosted by Catalyst: A Creative Industries Podcast, titled “The Artist is Present.” In this series, students interview Escalette Collection artists, asking questions about their artistic practice, career, and interests. A new episode will drop every Thursday during the month of July. You can
As an artist born in Los Angeles, and as a member of the Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California (whose land extended from the Los Angeles Basin to the Southern Channel Islands), Mercedes Dorame feels deeply connected to the landscape of California. She explores the problematics of living in a place that once belonged to her
In celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month, Escalette Director, Fiona Shen, joins Hong Kong-born artist Bovey Lee, to discuss the imagery of migration and the freedom of creative practice. FS: So much of your imagery is airborne. I’ve noticed paper airplanes, balloons, streamers in the wind and birds, waves, sail boats, and
In honor of Woman’s History Month, we are highlighting some of the work acquired by the Escalette Collection of Art this year as part of the Engaging the World: Leading the Conversation on the Significance of Race Initiative. Carla Jay Harris is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes photography, installation, collage, and drawing. Harris’s work has been