Fall 2012 at Valle del Oro

Returning Nomad Lab instructors and participants welcomed new classes and teachers to our Valle del Oro apartment last semester! New classes included an adult Painting class taught by community resident Joaquin, Visual Arts Visiting Artists workshops, and a Zine/Illustration class led by Pedro Lavin and Megan Broughton. Our popular Dance and Beat Labs (taught by Karla Rubio and Alfredo Miranda respectively) returned in full force for a busy semester.

The students of Joaquin's Painting class worked from life and photos to create some beautiful acrylic paintings (photos soon, hopefully!!). This class will be returning in Spring 2013 to further their skills and hopefully welcome some new members!

Students in our Beat Lab continued working with Alfredo Miranda to learn the basics of electronic music production ranging from ideas brainstorming to editing. Their tracks will be used for our upcoming indiegogo campaign and in collaboration with our upcoming Film/Video and Theater classes.

 Our first ever Visiting Artists class was a series of 2 week workshops led by artists in various fields. Over the course of the semester, participants worked with nine artists on many different projects, learning new techniques and ideas. In Spring 2013, we'll have another Visual Arts Visiting Artist class AND one for Film/Video!

Visiting Artists: Coral Fowler and Karina Yanez, bookmaking;   Jessica Castillo, sound art;   Armando Martinez-Celis, observational drawing;   Mitch Cox and Taylor Giali, collage;   Ana Garcia, Kristine Tomaro, and Jenny Lin, zines and publications.

             

 The Illustration class, facilitated by Pedro Lavin and Megan Broughton, founded a micro press for the neighborhood, Nomad Press, and produced two projects: Auto/Biographies and Nomadic Fictions working collaboratively and individually. Their zines were sold on consignment at Skylight Books and The Pop-Hop in Los Angeles! A continuing relationship with these two stores was established and zines from Spring 2013 will also be sold through them.

 And of course the Dance class was jam-packed with two sessions each Saturday! The girls worked with Karla Rubio toward their annual performance at the Valle del Oro Community Festival on Saturday, May 4th from 1 to 4pm. Don't miss them!

Here are some photos of our Fall together! Photos by Coral Fowler, Taylor Giali, Megan Broughton and Nomad Lab participants.

Our field trip to CalArts

To celebrate the end of our Fall semester at Park Sierra in Jakes Way neighborhood we went on a field trip to CalArts. The youth loved experimenting with different kinds of theater lights in the Light Lab under the guidance of lighting design student Lauren Tietz (thank you Lauren!!). We also visited the Gamelan room where we were treated to a special performance by master musician Nyoman Wenten and the CalArts Gamelan Ensemble. We visited artist studios, the animation gallery, and the sublevel with its graffiti-covered walls.
Already planning our next field trip!!

Jake's Way Here We Come!!!

It's Official! For the last 5 months since first found out from our partners in the City that NOMAD received a grant to open a new program in Canyon Country, we have been hard at work to bring art programs, artists, and create opportunities for the community to come together in the jakes Way neighborhood. It's been a blast from the start!

We feel so welcomed at our new location. Our Fall semester was an outstanding experience. Through workshops in dance, theater, graffiti art, visual arts, music and cooking we got to know many of the remarkable Park Sierra neighbors. And yes, we feel welcomed. it is the start of a great collaboration.

Here are some photos that document our Fall semester at our new site. Thanks Cynthia and Hope and the City for Santa Clarita staff fro your trust, support and guidance through this process. We are loving it!!

Let's Celebrate!

Our work at the Riverside Art Museum looked really great. But the best part of it was seeing our young artists' faces and excitement when they first saw their artworks among the work of adult professional artists.  Thanks to the families who drove there to support their young artists. We are so proud of their work! NOMAD LAB represent!