Sanctuary—Featuring San Cha, Bay Davis, and the Creators of Gentefied

Live via Zoom

ADMISSION:
Admission is free. 

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DESCRIPTION:
Don’t miss an inspiring evening of performance and conversation curated by Solidarity for Sanctuary exploring the concept of sanctuary as both a physical place of safety and a condition upon which creativity depends. This unique program will include exclusive performances by Latinx singer-songwriter San Cha, Solidarity for Sanctuary’s Doris Muñoz, and non-binary trans femme poet Bay Davis from the Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, alongside a walkthrough of the Hollywood art space’s current exhibition of Black and Brown diaspora, Shattered Glass, co-curatored by independent curator AJ Girard and L.A. Director Melahn Frierson. Afterward, USC Thornton School of Music instructor Jazmín Morales, and creators of Netflix’s Gentefied, Linda Yvette Chávez and Marvin Lemus, and showrunner's assistant Stephanie Osuna-Hernandez, will discuss sanctuary and artmaking in Los Angeles. The event will also spotlight the work of the TransLatin@ Coalition, a grassroots organization addressing the specific needs of transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex immigrant women immigrants who live in the United States.

“Sanctuary—Featuring San Cha, Bay Davis, and the Creators of Gentefied” is part of Common Ground, an original series of events that showcases Los Angeles artists and organizers who are deconstructing and reimagining America’s relationship to itself—the interplay between the nation and the actual landmass on which it depends.
 
Bios:
San Cha is a Los Angeles–based singer-songwriter who is known for her visceral and explosive live performances. Her name, derived from the Spanish word for “mistress,” is a mischievous reference to the title of “San,” given to male saints in the Catholic tradition. Fans of cumbia and punk, bolero and electro, flock to see San Cha’s emotional renditions of traditional Mexican rancheras and original songs that queer conventions of identity, power, and love. Effortlessly mixing Spanish and English, San Cha calls for a bold confrontation of tradition while respectfully honoring it.

Linda Yvette Chávez is the co-creator, co-showrunner, and executive producer of Netflix’s hit series Gentefied. Produced by America Ferrera and MACRO Studios, Gentefied's first season was nominated for three Imagen Foundation awards, including Best Comedy Series. Linda also adapted I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, a New York Times bestseller by Erika L. Sanchez, into a feature film. The graduate of the WGA’s prestigious Showrunner Training Program and Sundance Momentum Fellow was named a writer/creator to watch by Robert Rodriguez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Zoe Saldana as a part of their LATINXT LIST in 2019 and 2020. Glamour magazine named Linda one of the top Latinas changing the game for representation in television. Currently, Linda is writing a film for Searchlight, showrunning season two of Gentefied, and preparing to direct her first feature film, Fieras.

Bay Davis is a South Central born and raised black nonbinary queer trans femme poet, tattoo artist, organizer, and advocate whose work is rooted in healing and liberation. Through both their writing and spoken word, Davis has raised awareness on issues regarding injustice, anti-Blackness, and transphobia. Their social media accounts and lifestyle are an ode to their Blackness, queerness, transness, and the beauty that comes with all three things.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Melahn Frierson studied art history and film at San Francisco State University. She joined Jeffrey Deitch in 2018 and became director of the Los Angeles gallery in 2020. She has organized exhibitions such as Tokyo Pop Underground: Los Angeles (2019), Hollywood Babylon: A Re-Inauguration of the Pleasuredome (2020), and Kenny Scharf: MOODZ (2020), and also curates the Instagram account for both the New York and Los Angeles galleries. When Frierson first met Jeffrey Deitch, the two instantly hit it off through their shared passion for the avant-garde, New York 80s art scene.

Passionate about the arts and social change, arts professional and cultural strategist AJ Girard’s professional and scholarly interests include Black visual culture and inclusive engagement strategies. He earned his B.A. in Art History from Howard University and began his work in the museum field as a public and private tour guide at The Broad and CAAM. His work in the museum field has garnered support from institutions such as The American Alliance of Museums and the Western Arts Foundation, where he was recognized as an Emerging Leader of Color.

Marvin Lemus is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer with a passion for telling unapologetic stories and an eclectic body of work ranging from the film festival circuit to the digital world. Most recently, Lemus co-created and directed Gentefied, a bilingual digital series executive produced by America Ferrera and MACRO. Lemus has worked with rising comedy stars including Tessa Thompson, Olivia Munn, and Lil’ Rel Howery, and directed successful viral videos for brands such as Vogue, Anheuser-Busch, Nissan, MLB, and Time. His wildly successful digital campaign for the feature film, Dear White People, received over 8 million views.

USC Thornton instructor Jazmín Morales is a violinist, activist, and administrator dedicated to helping young artists use their gifts to enact meaningful change in the world. A classically trained violinist who also grew up playing mariachi and other regional Mexican music, Morales has spent her life navigating the space between classical and folk art traditions, and acting as a cultural translator between these worlds. Currently, Morales serves as the Assistant Director of the Colburn School’s Center for Innovation and Community Impact, where she founded an artistic and leadership development program for young women of color in classical music.

A child of undocumented immigrants from Mexico, Doris Muñoz earned a double bachelor’s in theatre and communications from Cal State Fullerton. After booking shows at the university’s Becker Amphitheatre, she worked her way across the music industry. Seeing a lack of representation and regard for immigrants and BIPOC, she was inspired to found mija mgmt and Solidarity for Sanctuary to impact and empower the Latinx community through education and organizing.

Stephanie Osuna-Hernandez is a writer/director from Inglewood, CA. She started in digital as a video producer for We Are Mitu, and has directed content for various Latinx small businesses. She was the assistant to Marvin Lemus and Linda Y. Chavez for season one of Gentefied and returned as their showrunner’s assistant for season two. She is currently working at Netflix’s Con Todo, creating content for their original titles and is a directing fellow for Film Independent’s Project Involve 2021. She recently directed the short film, Dreamer, which is currently on the film festival circuit and was selected for the Official Latino Film Festival.

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Presented by Arts in Action, part of USC Visions and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative.