Ofelia Esparza

Join us for a special closing celebration of “Ofelia Esparza: A Retrospective!” 🌼 This free, public program brings together community members, artists, and longtime supporters of Esparza’s work for an afternoon honoring women as artists, educators, and culture bearers. ✨ The afternoon will feature a panel conversation with Ofelia Esparza, Yreina Cervántez, and Betty Marín, moderated by art historian and exhibition co-curator Sybil Venegas. The intergenerational dialogue will explore how these women have built and sustained spaces for Chicana/Latina art and culture. (Please note: Seating for the panel discussion is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.) Following the panel, visitors are invited to engage in live poster printing with Self Help Graphics & Art, participate in hands-on flower tissue-making activities, and enjoy an in-gallery acoustic performance by La Marisoul y Son California. 🎶 As this celebration will take place during Mother’s Day weekend, we invite you to bring your mothers, chosen family, and loved ones to celebrate creativity, care, and community together. 🧡 Free and open to the public. RSVP to join us at the link in bio! 📷: Diana Feil

THIS SATURDAY! Join us for our We Love Our Mamis, Papis, & Grads Mercadito, enjoy our current exhibition “De Aquí, Somos…”, and take a self-guided Maravilla Mural Walk! Who’s coming thru? #EastLos #ArtShow #Mural

We hope to see you on Saturday, March 28 for "Walk Gently Upon This Earth," a special conversation and exhibition walkthrough with Ofelia Esparza and her family members. The talk will focus on two altars in the exhibition: "Defenders of Mother Earth" and "Raíces Cósmicas." Learn more about Esparza’s spiritual, cultural, and political foundations, and the ancestral knowledge that has guided her work for more than seven decades. We invite community members and art lovers to gather, reflect, and engage in dialogue on ancestral knowledge, care for the earth, and collective responsibility. Free and open to all. RSVP at the link in our bio. Photos by Paul Salveson.

“Defenders of Mother Earth,” designed by Ofelia Esparza and her daughter, Rosanna Esparza Ahrens, commemorates environmental activists around the world who have lost their lives fighting for important causes. Among them is Berta Cáceres, an Honduran activist who co-founded the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (@copinh ). Berta led a significant resistance movement against the construction of the Agua Zarca Dam. The dam was planned without consulting the Indigenous Lenca community, and Berta fought to prevent it from becoming a reality. The dam’s construction was suspended, but Berta was murdered in 2016 for her activism. This week marks both Berta’s birth date and the day she passed. Ofelia’s altar pays homage to her important story through elements like flowers and corn, which evoke the Mayan creation story and symbolize life and renewal. The altar uplifts Berta’s important story and shifts our focus away from her death, honoring instead the power of her life. Berta continues to inspire hope, resilience, and care for our beloved Mother Earth. On this day we proudly honor her memory. Berta Cáceres presente! See the altar on view in “Ofelia Esparza: A Retrospective” through May 18, 2026. Photos by Paul Salveson.

📷 Join us Saturday for Carlos Ugalde’s solo show Andar Por América from 3pm to 6pm. Carlos will also be signing copies of his self published book “Andar por los Senderos de Nuestra América” Carlos is a photographer, educator, and cultural activist whose work documents the social, political, and everyday lives of people throughout Latinoamérica. Since 1973, he has created an extensive photographic archive of more than 40,000 slides and images. Join Carlos this Saturday to experience his thoughtfully curated visual history of resilience in community. Andar Por América A Carlos Ugalde Photography Exhibition ✨ Saturday, February 28 • 3pm-6pm ✨ Tonalli Studio, East Los ✨ 4539 E Cesar E Chavez Ave #CarlosUgalde #PhotographyExhibition #EastLA

📷 Join us this Saturday for Carlos Ugalde’s solo show Andar Por América from 3pm to 6pm Carlos is a photographer, educator, and cultural activist whose work documents the social, political, and everyday lives of people throughout Latinoamérica. Since 1973, he has created an extensive photographic archive of more than 40,000 slides and images. Join Carlos this Saturday to experience his thoughtfully curated visual history of resilience in community. Andar Por América A Carlos Ugalde Photography Exhibition ✨ Saturday, February 28 • 3pm-6pm ✨ Tonalli Studio, East Los ✨ 4539 E Cesar E Chavez Ave #CarlosUgalde #PhotographyExhibition #EastLA

📣 🌟 Exciting news! “Ofelia Esparza: A Retrospective” has been extended. You can now visit the exhibition through May 16, 2026! Join us at one of our upcoming spring programs and dive deeper into Esparza’s creative world. Mark your calendar for hands-on workshops, an intergenerational conversation, and a lively closing celebration. All events are free to attend. RSVP encouraged at vpam.org or at the links in our bio. We hope to see you soon! Graphic by @cxlhuang .

This past Saturday, February 14, we gathered to create personal milagros—amulets of self-love and remembrance. The workshop, led by artist Rosanna Esparza, created a space for self-care, and gathering. Thank you to everyone who joined us! Stay tuned for more upcoming programs presented in tandem with "Ofelia Esparza: A Retrospective."

✨ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Ofelia Esparza @ofrenda1 ♥️ Join us for Corazon de Melon, a small works group exhibition opening Saturday, February 7, 2026 11am-4pm. Let’s come together, centering love, friendship, and community. Let’s allow those powerful vibrations to reverberate out, aligning and connecting the pulse of our collective beating hearts. Our connections are stronger and more powerful when bound by love, friendship, and community. ♥️ Follow Our Artistas 2NDWND @2ndwnd Abby Aceves @abby_aceves Andrea Galvez @_yosotierra_ Dalia Palacios @blissone Dalila Paola Mendez @dalilapaola Diosa Xochiquetzalcoatl @diosaxochiquetzalcoatl Edison Roman @edison.ink Elena Esparza @drelenadc Elijah R @thotcreations Jax Esparza Sanders @jaxiejaxart Karla Camacho @art_dekarla Kalli Arte Collective @kalliarte Mextica @mextica Mi’randa Villanueva @blissfull_nana Neri Rivas @nrepujado Ofelia Esparza @ofrenda1 Susana Figueroa @sonjiart Usen Gandara @miyo_usen_editions Vanessa Lopez @vlopez.ai Xitlalic Guijosa @xitlalic Yolanda Gonzalez @yolandagonzalezart Yolitztli Torres @yolitztli_ ♥️ Curated by Rosanna Esparza Ahrens @sannazan and Andrea Ramirez @mextica #ArtExhibition #EastLA #SupportArtists