Inspired by A Great Day in East LA: Celebrando the Eastside Sound temporary exhibition, this teen writing workshop invites participants (ages 13 to 19)  to explore how places shape who we are and how we tell our stories. Drawing from the exhibition’s focus on music, fashion, instruments, costumes, and community spaces, the workshop centers on poetry and creative writing as tools to reflect on identity, culture, and lived experience.

Together, we’ll examine how elements such as sound, food, neighborhoods, and style preserve cultural memory, express belonging, and sometimes reveal social divisions. Participants will learn how relationships with place and environment can enrich imagery, voice, and storytelling, and will incorporate ideas and references from the exhibition into guided writing exercises.

The workshop is led by guest presenter José Vadi, author of Inter State: Essays from California and Chipped: Writing from a Skateboarder’s Lens. An award-winning and Pushcart-nominated essayist, poet, playwright, and film producer, Vadi’s work has been featured in The Paris Review, The Atlantic, PBS NewsHour, KQED, Free Skate Magazine, Alta Journal, and The Yale Review. He lives and writes in Sacramento, California.

This free program is designed for teens interested in creative expression, storytelling, and exploring the connections between culture, community, and place.