Downtown News Article on LUF's James Rojas

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LUFites hangin’ with MAK Insitute Fellow

Here are some images taken on Wednesday evening at an intimate dinner for visiting MAK Institute Fellow Efrén Santana. Santana who hails from Venezuela will be in Los Angeles for the next two months researching (and contrasting) how Latinos shape Los Angeles through the physical and social interactions with the city-region.


On hand were various colleagues from the MAK Institute, and other notable activists, researchers, architects, and artists whose work focuses on the built environment. The dinner took place at the beautiful Leland House (designed by R.M. Schindler) situated atop the Hollywood Hills. Guests were treated to an excellent dinner, wine, kick ass coffee, great conversations on the city-region, and just a plain ole’ good vibe. Nobody jumped in the pool though. Various LUFites will be showing Santana around the city over the next two months...including the quintessential trip to the criminalized taco trucks in East L.A.



For full gallery of images see:

MAKin out Gallery!

LA 2 TiJ Slideshow 2: San Ysidro

The slideshow will be modified later as more images are available to us. Audio is kinda bad...hard to photoshoot, record, etc etc all at the same time.

Voyeuristic Landscapes: LA 2 TJ Mobile Conference Audio Slideshow

One of the first audio/slideshow narratives of more to come. Check LA Times often for the article by reported Hector Becerra.

For better sound and visuals visit:

LUF Direct Link

or settle for the youtube version:

LA 2 TJ links

Check Latino Urban Forum website for images,sound byes, etc. from LA 2 TJ Mobile Conference.

FYI, LA Times Reporter Hector Becerra made the trip with us from Union Station to La Casa del Tunel in Tijuana.

LA River Via Music Video

A good friend of mine asked me to give a multimedia savvy lecture on my Graduate Work to a small group of students at CSUN's Department of Chicana/o Studies last April. Before dabbling into my focus/research, I took them on a visual and audio tour of the LA Built Environment (e.g. LA River, Powerlines, streetscapes). Embedded is a small sample of what I used as a medium to build the context on the social (and physical) construction of space:

5 Days Til 1st Annual LA-2-Tijuana Mobile Conference

Almost 60 people have signed up for the 1st Annual LA to TJ mobile conference! More details as the week progresses.! Train departs at 8:30 am.


Moving Goods, People and Ideas


Date: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Time: 8:30 am to 11:05 pm


Discussions on Track will focus on four topic areas: transportation, social issues, the natural and built environment impacting the region. Projects visited include: the LA River, Hobart Rail Yards, 710 Expansion, Great Park, San Gabriel River, Casa Familiar, Tijuana River and many others.

Itineray*;

Train Ride from LA-San Diego 8:30 am to 11:20 am
Trolley Ride from San Diego to San Ysidero 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Walk over the Border/Lunch 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Walking tour of Tijuana 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Border Crossing 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Trolley Ride from San Ysidero to San Diego 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Train Ride from San Diego to LA 8:20 pm to 11:05 pm
*All times subject to change

Charro Article in NY Times.

Excellent little article in the NY Times on charreria in the U.S. The slideshow is also pretty hot. Maybe the LA times will one day catch up with the level of attention the NY times puts on cultural practices by mexicanos in CA/Southwest.


NY TIMES ARTICLE

Cal Poly Pomona Golden Necklace Master Plan--Digital Component

These two vignettes were created to compliment the Graduate Studio's design proposals, policy-guidelines, and research for the creation of a multi-trail system for Los Angeles. I, metrovaquero, was part of this multimedia collaboration. check it!