The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: River Walk and Creative Workshop

ADMISSION:
Admission is free, and workshop is open to current USC students only. RSVP beginning Wednesday, March 1, at 10 a.m.

DESCRIPTION:
Join us for an afternoon of creative activities exploring the relationships between the natural and human-made environments of the L.A. River ecosystem in Northeast Los Angeles and how they affect the birds and wildlife of this region.

Schedule and Reservations:

1 to 2:30 p.m.: Guided L.A. River Walk
Lewis MacAdams Park, 2944 Gleneden St, Los Angeles
Open to all. RSVP beginning Wednesday, March 1, at 10 a.m.

3 to 5 p.m.: Creative Workshop
Clockshop, 2806 Clearwater St., Los Angeles
Open to USC students only. Students must attend the River Walk prior to attending the workshop. Refreshments will be provided. Transportation from the University Park Campus will be available for USC students. Details will be sent to those with reservations. RSVP at the link above.

5 to 6 p.m.: Reception and Exhibition
Clockshop, 2806 Clearwater St., Los Angeles
Open to all. RSVP not required.

L.A. River Walk
At 1 p.m., a guided walking tour of the L.A. River will be led by Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) and will include a field journaling exploration and discussions with architectural designer Lilliana Castro of Archeffect Design and Lazaro Arvizu, a Gabrielino Tongva educator, artist, and researcher. Participants will learn about birds, the L.A. River habitat in relation to the urban built environment, and how the effects of gentrification and urbanization have created ecological threats to our birds and wildlife. Participants will also learn how to do field collection and journaling as part of the experience. 

Creative Workshop at Clockshop
USC students will apply their observations from the L.A. River walk in a hands-on creative workshop that bridges two identities: Na/Ma—Nature and Manufactured realities. Centering on urban birds and their relationship with the city, the workshop will be led by Lilliana Castro and will transform the participants’ reflections from field journaling into tangible art pieces capturing their unique interpretations and experiences. The workshop will be hosted by Clockshop, a multidisciplinary arts organization that is within walking distance from the L.A. River.

Reception and Exhibition at Clockshop
The activities will culminate in a public critique and celebration of workshop projects, as well as a display of site-specific collaborative installations by students from the USC School of Architecture and USC School of Cinematic Arts.

This event is part of a series held in conjunction with The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon, on display in Doheny Memorial Library from March 1–May 31, 2023, illuminating the works of artists and scientists who are addressing the challenges of avian extinction, habitat destruction, and the ever-growing threat of global climate change, along with items that highlight the complex history behind the illustrious artist, naturalist, and ornithologist John James Audubon.

Bios:

Lazaro Arvizu is a Gabrielino Tongva educator, artist, and researcher who is knowledgeable of the landscape and traditions of the Gabrielino culture. He has worked for over 20 years facilitating creative and meaningful cultural experiences for people of all ages and walks of life, in many venues.

Lilliana Castro is a multidisciplinary designer and the founder and chief creative of Archeffect, established in 2010 to bridge her passion for graphics and architecture, with the ethos that design is one and can be accessible to all. Her designs primarily focus on identity, examining the concepts of place, culture, and empowerment. She is a queer womxn, a feminist, and an activist with a grassroots and punk-rock approach.

Clockshop is a Los Angeles–based arts and culture nonprofit that produces free public programming and commissions contemporary artist projects on public land to better connect Angelenos to the land they live on. They address the climate crisis as a cultural problem that requires equitable cultural solutions and, through long-term collaborations with artists, like-minded partners, and local stakeholders, promote ecological stewardship and climate resilience in the community.

Related Events:

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon
Tuesday, March 21, at 6 p.m.
Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240
For more info, click HERE

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: Birding Walk for USC Students
Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m.
Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffith Ave., Los Angeles
For more info, click HERE

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Aroussiak Gabrielian (Architecture), Tyson Gaskill (USC Libraries), Patty Johnson (USC Libraries), Lisa Mann (Cinematic Arts), Nathan Masters (USC Libraries), Anne-Marie Maxwell (USC Libraries), Amy Murphy (School of Architecture), and Tim Stanton (USC Libraries).