One Institute is proud to introduce the 2024 Circa: Queer Histories Festival Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee represents One Institute’s deep commitment to community-based engagement with our public programs. The committee has helped to shape Circa’s programmatic vision and played a major role in the development and evolution of this new and ambitious queer cultural event in Los Angeles.
This year, our distinguished 15-member committee hails from the worlds of visual arts, nonprofits, literature, film, government, museums, curation, performance, and education. Thanks to their expertise, and careful eye toward diversity, inclusion, and excellence, this year’s festival lineup includes 60+ programs spotlighting the historic and contemporary contributions of queer and trans people.
One Institute invites you to learn more about these talented individuals below and to sign up on our Circa Festival website to never miss an update about this year's festival!
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Erik Adamian (he/him) is an Iranian-Armenian LGBTQ+ educator, creative, and community leader. As the president of the GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian society Board of directors, Erik has organized and participated in several programs and projects geared towards providing services for and bringing visibility to LGBTQ+ Armenians in Los Angeles and beyond. As the co-founder of Charachchi, a multi-media project by and for queer Armenians, Erik provides creative direction, conducts outreach and interviews, and co-leads the content creation efforts, the editing and the execution of the project. As the Director of Education at One Institute (formerly ONE Archives Foundation) for 5+ years, Erik helped with the implementation of LGBTQ+ history in K-12 schools in California by leading statewide and local LGBTQ+ history trainings for teachers and educational programming for students. He conducted faculty-sponsored research on the experiences of LGBTQ+ Armenians in Los Angeles while attending UCLA, and worked as an educator at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Currently, Erik works in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
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A citizen of the world, Jerri Allyn (s/he) is an artist and activist interested in civic engagement, exploring themes of social justice and community empowerment, often challenging gender norms and questioning power structures. S/He addresses issues related to labor, sexuality, women's experience, and queer rights. Most of Allyn’s work is in a narrative, storytelling form, and strives for aesthetic innovations, incorporating facts and a satiric wit. Allyn’s artwork has been grant funded for over 30 years, and often collaborating, t/heir interdisciplinary projects provide a forum for multiple voices.
For Allyn’s current project, Sex Celebrated: Expanding Erotic Power, s/he is creating 5’x3.5’ photomontage portraits and producing events with colleagues involved in pro-sex gigs and grass roots social justice movements. Sex Celebrated explores the intersections between comprehensive sex ed, erotic activities, and labor rights for sex workers – in the subjects lives and broader society, addressing health, body autonomy and human rights. The project will debut for a one-day pop-up in September 2024 at The Art Room in downtown Los Angeles.
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Lynn Harris Ballen is the Senior Producer of Feminist Magazine, an intersectional radio show/podcast. Born & raised in South Africa, she’s a writer and had a career in media and communications ranging from Los Angeles Magazine to the L.A. County Natural History Museum. With her late partner and co-conspirator, Jeanne Córdova, she created the queer magazine Square Peg, and together they also founded a social justice non-profit in Baja, Mexico. As an LGBTQ and feminist cultural activist, Lynn is passionate about telling untold stories and building coalitions. She's been a long-time lesbian organizer in Los Angeles, most recently on the Lambda Litfest founding committee, and as Board President of Dyke Day LA. She's co-produced publications, conferences, and lesbian art/history exhibits including GenderPlay in Lesbian Culture, the Lesbian Legacy Wall at ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, the ButchVoicesLA conference, and Lesbians To Watch Out For: '90s Queer LA Activism.
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Orin is an experimental performer and playwright based in Los Angeles. This past spring, Orin's play, A Finger Pointing At The Moon, enjoyed a sold out debut run. In addition to their solo work around Los Angeles, Orin has also produced and performed in an unlicensed production of Cats: The Musical and a recreation of Lady Gaga's Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl Halftime Show. Orin is proud to bring his identity as a trans gay man to all of his artistic work.
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Felicia is a queer Latinx, values-based community organizer, social entrepreneur, abolitionist and manifestor. They have over two decades of movement-building experience within intersectional communities. As a formerly incarcerated person, they know firsthand the failings of the injustice system and actively work to dismantle all systems of oppression. They have been honored in The Advocate's 40 under 40 LGBT leaders for their intersectional work in marriage equality and cannabis. In 2020, they were recognized as a Latinx LGBTQ role model by Honor 41.
They are a sought-after public speaker and thought leader on equity, abolition, economic development, marijuana/cannabis health and equity, and intersectional community building. Felicia is currently the co-founder and Executive Director of The Social Impact Center.
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Holly M. is a seasoned museum professional with over 15 years of experience. Specializing in curating a wide range of programs, they have developed extensive written and digital resources for K-12 students, families, and adults, focusing on diverse contemporary topics and art historical themes. Holly M. holds a proven track record in managing residency programs that support both international and local artists in Los Angeles. Their expertise lies in fostering artistic dialogues and cultivating creative communities.
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Samantha Eisenberg (she/her) is a community organizer and nonprofit professional based in Los Angeles, CA. She currently serves as the Director of Development for JQ International, a direct service nonprofit for the LGBTQ+ Jewish community. She is also a board member at Beth Chayim Chadashim, the oldest Synagogue by and for LGBTQ+ Jews. Samantha started her career in fund development and LGBTQ+ inclusion at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, and was previously the co-chair for transgender inclusion with the American Alliance of Museums, where she led the creation of LGBTQ+ inclusion resources for museums and cultural institutions. Samantha holds an MA in Social Science from the University of California, Irvine and a BS in Anthropology from Tulane University of Louisiana. She is from Torrance, CA and currently lives in Cypress Park with her feline companions, Cinema and Sycamore. In her personal time, she enjoys playing music, attending concerts, and social dancing.
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Rubén Esparza is a multidisciplinary artist and independent curator, using the insight of both roles to synergize intensely cross-referential physical and ephemeral works of art and exhibitions. Exploring Queer and Latinx histories, existential trauma, and the reconciliation of his heritage, that of the colonizer and the colonized. Esparza uses analog materials alongside complex experimental digital-driven works to create sociopolitical commentary or homage to brownness and/or queerness. Esparza is the founder and director of the Queer Biennial and Queer Califas Online at www.rubenesparza.com and @rubenesparza669.
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Ray López-Chang is a Queer organizer, native Angeleno, urban planner, and product of a Central American-Chinese family of immigrants and refugees. At fifteen, he became the youngest elected official in California, serving as Board Member of LA's' Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council.
Since 2020, Ray has been with Great Public Schools Now (GPSN), now serving as Director of Advocacy and Planning, co-convening the Digital Equity Los Angeles (DELA) Coalition and organizing LA-based cross-sector organizations to build collective action. Previously, he served as Field Deputy and Director of Community Engagement for Board District 5 at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and as Program Officer, Education Policy & Advocacy at United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Ray currently serves on the boards of the YMCA in Southeast LA, miVacunaLA, Levitt Pavillion Los Angeles, and Asian Democrats of LA County.
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Austyn de Lugo-Liston is an educator, artist, and content creator based in Los Angeles. Rooted in the playful celebration of the tawdry, the flamboyant, the vapid, and the carnal, Austyn's work mirrors a deep interest in teaching visual and media literacy.
Receiving a BFA from the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 2014 and an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design in 2017, he had a residency at the Fundacion Sebastian and a teaching artist fellowship at the Armory Center for the Arts. Austyn's work has been exhibited throughout the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean, reflecting a diverse and inclusive approach to art-making. |
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Amitis Motevalli is an artist born in Iran who moved to the US in 1977 pre-revolution. She explores the cultural resistance and survival of people living in poverty, conflict and war. Her experience as a working-class transnational migrant, is foundational to her studio and pedagogical practices. Through many mediums including digital, sculpture, video, performance and collaborative public art, her work juxtaposes iconography, asking questions about violence, domination, occupation and the path to decolonization , while invoking the significance of a secular grassroots struggle. She is equally known for her work in Educational Justice, working with youth and communities to gain equal access to civil rights, privacy and pedagogy without profiling. Motevalli is invested in research, collaboration, and the potential of art to expand thought. Her current project works internationally with a broad spectrum of transnational Muslims and South /West Asian and North/East African migrants in order to research what defines home, life and labor in the urgency of survival. Motevalli is also the Director of The William Grant Still Arts Center.
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Rasheed Newson is the author of My Government Means to Kill Me. The novel was a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction and was named one of the “The 100 Notable Books of 2022” by The New York Times.
Rasheed is also a television drama writer, producer, and showrunner. Along with his television writing partner, T.J. Brady, he co-developed and is an executive producer of the drama series Bel-Air. Rasheed and T.J. have also worked on The Chi, Animal Kingdom, and Narcos, among other drama series. Additionally, Rasheed is the literary curator-at-large for Allstora, and he has been a significant partner to organizations working for both racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights, including GLAAD and the Trevor Project. He is a board member for the One Institute and the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, as well as a longtime supporter of LA Voice.
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A writer and filmmaker, Jamison was the first literary artist-in-residence at Tom of Finland House, where he wrote and published the erotic memoir, How to Be a Faggot, in 2017. Other notable publications include: Mein Schwules Auge, GAYLETTER, EDGE Media, and LA’s Department of Cultural Affairs. In 2019, Jamison received an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute Conservatory. He is currently in post production of his first feature documentary, House of Leather, which is expected to premiere in 2025. Jamison refuses to become an outlaw as he moves his brand of sexuality into the American zeitgeist. His unique voice: a young man from a marginalized subculture who wants his work to access the mainstream; to inform, entertain, and move profound issues into our contemporary world.
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Cole Santiago is a filmmaker and a partner at Field Trip, where she serves as one of the founders. As a queer woman in the film industry, she brings a unique perspective to her craft, infusing her work with authenticity, empathy, and a profound understanding of diverse narratives.
Her work explores themes of identity, love, resilience, and the human experience. Throughout her career, Cole has demonstrated a commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and challenging societal norms. Through her production company, she provides a platform for underrepresented filmmakers, empowering them to share their stories and contribute to a more inclusive cinematic landscape. In addition to her creative pursuits, Cole is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in media and actively works towards creating opportunities for queer filmmakers both behind and in front of the camera. |
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C. Jerome Woods is the Founding Director of the Black LGBT Project, which chronicles the lives and contributions of Black LGBT persons and their significant others. Woods is a published poet and author whose work has appeared in various queer and mainstream publications as well as recorded on compact disc, and appears in Jewel's Catch One documentary on Netflix. Rooted in family, friends, and community, the Louisiana native and retired educator sits on several community advisory boards, art panels, and councils. This year marks Woods' second year as a Steering Committee Member for One Institute's Circa: Queer Histories Festival. Woods hopes to communicate and collaborate with individuals, organizations, agencies, and institutes in decreasing and/or eradicating HIV/AIDS, homelessness, illiteracy, age and ethnic discrimination, homophobia, incarceration, and stigma and shame in the international community(ies).
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