LA Commons is back at the monthly Leimert Park Art Walk!

This month, we’ll be bringing you a fashion-themed art activity. More details soon.

Watch the DrumatiX at the Ford as part of their Family Soundscapes Concert Series. DrumatiX brings an interactive, high-energy performance that transforms recycled and found objects into rhythmic and musical soundscapes. Using tap dance, body percussion, drumming, humor, and inventive choreography, this family-friendly show celebrates creativity, sustainability, and the joy of making something new from what already exists.

Schedule:

• 10am: Interactive activities and curated art-making in collaboration with LA Commons

• 11:30am: Performance

State of the Arts is an annual gathering of LA’s creative community to reflect, connect, and rise to action.

Join our Executive Director Karen Mack for the afternoon ending panel, “A Unified Vision: Building More Resilient Communities”

LA Commons (Community Arts Program Director, Beth Peterson and a Leimert Park Resident Advisor) and Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ) will be holding a joint breakout session at the Resilient California Summit in Sacramento.

The session will focus on Building Community Resilience Through Arts and Culture.

LA Commons will be hosting a Historic South LA Black Cultural District table — come stop by!

Please join us for Colors of Connection: Rooted and Rising, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Skirball Cultural Center.

This year’s theme reflects LA Commons’ commitment to investing in neighborhoods, fostering opportunity, and building foundations that support thriving communities across Los Angeles, from advancing cultural preservation to the official state designation of South LA as a Black Cultural District.

The evening will also honor acclaimed artist Lauren Halsey, community advocate and entrepreneur Prophet Walker, and philanthropic leader Dr. Robert K. Ross for their transformative impact on arts, culture, and community in Los Angeles.

Join APA California in Los Angeles for the APA California 2026 Conference, where planners from across the state will come together to explore Crafting Our Narrative, Planning as Storytelling.

Karen Mack, Founder & Executive Director of LA Commons, will be a panelist for one session and a moderator for another session.

Experience the power of sharing a meal in community to celebrate the enduring brilliance of our region’s creative pioneers. The evening will open at the site of Betye Saar’s transformative installation, Drifting Toward Twilight, where participants will experience an immersive, grounding sound bath in preparation for a rich dialogue featuring Saar’s granddaughter Maddy Inez. Participants will also enjoy a thoughtfully prepared meal that includes ancestral foods that serve as culinary connections to history, heritage, and regeneration.

Attend the Ford’s Summer Concert series and watch The Filharmonic perform. The Filharmonic is an internationally recognized Filipino American a cappella group known for their appearances on NBC’s The Sing-Off, in Pitch Perfect 2, and on The Late Late Show. With world-class vocals and dynamic stage presence, The Filharmonic delivers an engaging, family-friendly concert experience that celebrates music, culture, and community.

Schedule:

• 10am: Interactive activities and curated art-making in collaboration with LA Commons

• 11:30am: Performance

Enjoy a FREE and family-friendly day of jazz, community, and culture with an inter-generational artist lineup, a Kids’s Zone, Visual Arts Pavilion, Foodie Court, Marketplaces and more! Join LA Commons at our table for an interactive art activity!

Join us at Pacoima City Hall to celebrate the finished art pieces of our Pacoima art projects!

Attend the Bob Baker Marionette Theater and Kate Micucci summer concert at the Ford!

Participate in LA Commons' art activity led by Maria Elena Cruz before the show!

Every summer since 2010, LA Commons hosts Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks, a beloved community tradition held during the Leimert Park Art Walk. This annual celebration honors South LA ancestors, ancestral traditions and customs, African and Diaspora artistic expressions, and shared community memories.

Founded in 2010, by artists Najite Agindotan and Ben Caldwell in collaboration with LA Commons, the Festival of Masks is a multicultural, multigenerational and multimedia arts event grounded in the vast identities of Africa and the African diaspora.

This year, we will be honoring:

• S. Pearl Sharp

• Horace Tapscott

• Aiysha Sinclair

• Meri Ka Ra (Reverend Richard Byrd)

• Kimberly Bolanile Paggett

This year’s theme is Nea Onnim — the African Adinkra symbol representing lifelong education and the continued quest for knowledge.

The festival features a libation ceremony, procession and an exciting lineup of dance and musical performances. The blessing and libation ceremony are designed to invoke a healing and reflection process in the community. The procession through the streets symbolizes the people's power and capacity to take ownership over their community, address challenges and create change.

Every Saturday until June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting FREE community workshops!

Participate in these no-cost master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

11AM - 12PM: West African dance with King Daunté Nabi Fyall

12PM - 2PM: Ancestral mask-making with Maria Elena Cruz & Ronieka Pinkney

2PM - 3PM: African drumming with Mama Nene

Watch Spain v. Uruguay live on giant LED screens on Jerry Moss Plaza and join LA Commons for our mask-making arts workshop!

Join LA Commons at the Levitt Pavilion Summer Concert Series Kickoff!

LA Commons will be hosting a “Make Your Own Sticker” activity, as well as handing out free posters and bandanas.

Every Saturday until June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting FREE community workshops!

Participate in these no-cost master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

11AM - 12PM: West African dance with King Daunté Nabi Fyall

12PM - 2PM: Ancestral mask-making with Maria Elena Cruz & Ronieka Pinkney

2PM - 3PM: African drumming with Mama Nene

Every Saturday until June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting FREE community workshops!

Participate in these no-cost master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

11AM - 12PM: West African dance with King Daunté Nabi Fyall

12PM - 2PM: Ancestral mask-making with Maria Elena Cruz & Ronieka Pinkney

2PM - 3PM: African drumming with Mama Nene

Join LA Commons in celebrating our youth arts team in community! Enjoy free breakfast, an art supplies giveaway & Stop the Hate merch! We’ll be located in front of the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center in MacArthur Park

Every Saturday until June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting FREE community workshops!

Participate in these no-cost master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

11AM - 12PM: West African dance with King Daunté Nabi Fyall

12PM - 2PM: Ancestral mask-making with Maria Elena Cruz & Ronieka Pinkney

2PM - 3PM: African drumming with Mama Nene

Every Saturday until June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting FREE community workshops!

Participate in these no-cost master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

12PM - 2PM: Mask making

2PM - 3PM: Drumming and dance

Every Saturday until June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting FREE community workshops!

Participate in these no-cost master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

12PM - 2PM: Mask making

2PM - 3PM: Drumming and dance

Every Saturday until June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting FREE community workshops!

Participate in these no-cost master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

12PM - 2PM: Mask making

2PM - 3PM: Drumming and dance

Starting from May 9th through June 27th, LA Commons will be hosting no-cost community workshops!

Participate in FREE master classes where you can learn ancestral mask-making, African dancing and drumming. Every Saturday in Leimert Park Village, you can join us in interactive workshops.

12PM - 2PM: Mask making

2PM - 3PM: Drumming and dance

Kickoff the 2026 Festival of Masks season with us in Leimert Park!

Be part of igniting the excitement and kicking off the celebration of the 2026 Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks season!

Join us on Sunday, April 26th as we begin the festivities for Festival of Masks with activities including:

• Announcement of the ancestors we'll be honoring

• An art activity connected to the the theme: Nea Onnim - the Adinkra symbol representing knowledge, life-long education, and continued quest for knowledge

• Free grocery giveaway, healthy culture hub resources and more

• Showcase/preview of Festival of Masks' Saturday Workshops

Please mark your calendar for Thursday, April 23, 2026 and reserve your ticket(s) with the button below in celebrating the UCLA Labor Center’s James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center homecoming.

Alongside this celebration, LA Commons will be unveiling its newest MacArthur Park mural.

Join LA Commons at the CA Arts & Culture Summit happening on Monday, April 20, 2026.

Our Executive Director, Karen Mack, and Associate Director of Community Arts Programs, Valery Mendoza-Martinez, will be leading a breakout session called “Creating Joy Through the ‘Healthy Culture Hub’ Model.”

This session will explore LA Commons’ model for promoting wellness, civic engagement and leadership development for residents and youth through programming designed by community for community. 

Come help us care for the park that has offered us so much while building community. Community Members of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate. Students and anyone else who needs community service hours are encouraged to join us. All supplies and lunch will be provided. Dress comfortably; we recommend walking shoes, water, and a hat. Feel free to invite others. Please let us know if you have any questions. 

A Celebration of SAJE and the City We Fight For marks their 30th anniversary! This night is about recommitting to building community power, winning bold policy change, and shaping an LA that works for all of us, not just the wealthy.

LA Commons Founder and Executive Director, Karen Mack, will be honored at this celebration.