Mile 25: Haven by the River | Elysian Valley

Transforming 51 miles of the LA River/ Paayme Paxaayt with ART, NATURE and COMMUNITY.Each month we visit new sites along the River with artists, Indigenous Culture Bearers and local experts: Look for surprises around the bend!In 2023, our first year of River Sessions, we visited sites along the River in the spirit of Hyonaayn’ar -- a Tongva word that means both teacher and student. We listened to and learned creative tactics from many artists and indigenous cultural practitioners who work regeneratively with their communities and the River. What emerged is that the River is trying to heal herself --and our communities need healing too.Understanding and expressing emotions is a pathway to healing. Art can help us deepen our understanding of the emotional impact that the channelized River has upon us. Towards the goal of healing ourselves and the River, we will discover this year how art can connect us to our feelings. We will take time on our River Sessions for creative field research guied by poets, artists, and indigenous cultural practioners.

LA River Arts

Guided creative field research -- Exploring art, culture, and place along the LA River/Paayme Paxaayt.

Elysian Valley Gateway Park

River Sessions

River Sessions are guided by Indigenous Culture Bearers, artists, creative ecologists, historians, and curators. Each session begins at a new  mile of Paayme Paxaayt (aka theLA River) offering a unique experience  following and learning from the River.

River Sessions 2025: Kiki'ing with the River

Events in LA River Arts' 2025 series of River Sessions, "Kiki'ing with the River," celebrating LGBTQIA2S+ communities and exploring queer histories along the LA River/Paayme Paxaayt.

<h1>River Sessions: Kiki'ing with the River</h1>Mile 25: Haven by the River | Elysian Valley<h4>Mindfulness workshop with Salvador de la Torre</h4>$20 suggested donation - or pay what you wish!The first event in the new River Session series, Kiki’ing with the River, will be led by artist, educator and storyteller Salvador de la Torre. Join us for a reflective workshop of meditation, journaling and drawing along Paayme Paxaayt (LA River). De la Torre will guide the session, inviting participants to find a haven by the river and reflect upon queerness as naturally occurring wherever we look. The workshop will be followed by a conversation between de la Torre and curator Juan Silverio. Participants are encouraged to bring their own sketchbooks and journals. <h4>River Sessions : “Kiki’ing with the River”</h4>Kiki’ing with the River is an outdoor, artist-guided series along the Paayme Paxaayt (aka the LA River) that celebrates queer resilience and community activism through social sculptures and creative engagement. Each session highlights regional LGBTQIA2S+ artists and Indigenous culture bearers, featuring performances, sound, and multimedia installations that explore the balance between nature, control, and liberation. Co-curated by Tiffany Naiman and Juan Silverio, the series amplifies the voices of diverse and resilient queer communities. About the artistSalvador de la Torre is a Mexican-born Texas-raised artist, educator and storyteller based in Southern California. Their drawing and performance work invoke the power of personal experience and family history to create artworks that exist at the intersection of activism, art production and praxes of self-acceptance.Their work engages politics of migration, memory, queerness, and gender in ways that remind us of the power and solidarity that can exist in quotidian gestures.De la Torre’s production opens channels for theorizing vulnerability, intimacy, and proximity as radical undertakings in the space of the borderlands and beyond. In doing so, their work forges complex narratives of joy, struggle, adaptability, exhaustion and tenderness, as counternarratives that assert the wholeness, nuance, and humanity of immigrant communities, and queer subjectivities.Salvador earned an MFA from California State University, Fullerton and a BA from Texas A&amp;M International University. <h4>About River Sessions</h4>River Sessions is an ongoing series of creative site visits that bring artists and cultural practitioners to the LA River to create public activations engaging themes of environmental justice, resilience, and community storytelling. By centering historically marginalized perspectives, River Sessions foster critical dialogue and deepen cultural connections to the River.Join us to experience art, culture, and place along the 51 miles of the LA River. In the spirit of Hyonaayn’ar--a Tongva word that means both teacher and student--we will learn about the River’s ephemeral histories and imagine it’s ecological futures, all while exploring diverse and dynamic cultural responses to the watershed.Watch this 10min documentary featuring our three Indigenous Advisors whose artist residency on the River culminated with: <a href="https://vimeo.com/787767269?share=copy" title="https://vimeo.com/787767269?share=copy" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">A Day of Joyful Intervention: Returning the River</a> IMPORTANT DETAILS:<ul><li>This is an outdoor event that will occur rain or shine.</li><li>Maps/Directions and more details will be sent to participants after registration.</li><li>All tours include a 5% Land Usage Fee. Funds from this fee cover compensation for a Tribal Elder or Culture Bearer to accompany most walks. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17OJy-8jHLUwBhXJy1yKVHpzJqj_QfRAf19IpPcCrVys/edit?usp=sharing" title="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17OJy-8jHLUwBhXJy1yKVHpzJqj_QfRAf19IpPcCrVys/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Information about Land Usage Fees.</a></li><li>Refunds are available as credit for an alternate tour.</li><li>By attending a LA River Arts event, you accept <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zgpodh4qUERg9OVZVAyEYrerY3XSyOFnqBgpHyug1iE/edit?usp=sharing" title="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zgpodh4qUERg9OVZVAyEYrerY3XSyOFnqBgpHyug1iE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">our terms of service</a>.</li><li>Visit <a href="http://www.lariverarts.org/" title="http://www.lariverarts.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.LARiverArts.org</a> for more details and stay tuned for surprises.</li></ul> SUPPORT LARA!!!<a href="https://lariverpublicartproject.org/store/parasol" title="https://lariverpublicartproject.org/store/parasol" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Parasols featuring commissioned art by Jess Gudiel are for sale at event registration ($60) and available at the event: $50ea</a>_________________________I wish you wouldwalk with me heremore often—--Lewis MacAdams, The River: Book One

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Mile 25: Haven by the River | Elysian Valley

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Mile 25: Haven by the River | Elysian Valley

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