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Carren Jao

A woman sitting down with a floral skirt

Born and raised in the Philippines, Carren is a storyteller at heart, working to uplift diverse voices. She is a skilled digital storyteller with more than a decade of experience working on engaging content that lives on multiple platforms. Her arts and culture stories have won recognition from the LA Press Club and the Asian American Journalists Association.

As arts and culture editor for KCET, a public television station and online destination in Southern California, she leads editorial strategy and content development for arts, culture, food, travel and history content. Working with collaborators across 11 Southern California counties, she tells award-winning stories that matter.

Previously, Carren has worked as a full-time freelance journalist. Her work has been published around the world, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Wired UK, Surface, Dwell and many others.

A woman sitting down with a floral skirt
Ray Garcia's Lamb Neck Tamal from Broken Spanish | Courtesy of Life & Thyme
Food Spots That Made Our Mouths Water in 2017
In Los Angeles, we're lucky to have a diversity of food within a few miles' drive. In a few minutes, we can chow down on delicious tacos al pastor or savor on Romanian cuisine. Here are some food spots that made it to our must-go list this year.
Vietnamese spring rolls at the Kickstand Cafe in Arlington, MA on Jul. 20, 2015. | Photo by Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
34 Vietnamese Dishes To Try Apart from Phở and Bánh Mì
We asked Chef Diep Tran of Good Girl Dinette to give us a rundown of Vietnamese dishes we should try aside from the usual pho and banh mi.
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A Day in the Life of Petit Trois Chef de Cuisine, Will Marquardt
We asked Marquardt to give us an insider’s look into the demands of a chef de cuisine at one of the country’s best restaurants. Here’s a day in his life.
Exterior of NuMu
World's Smallest Contemporary Museum Journeys to L.A.
Take a look inside Nuevo Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (or NuMu, for short) and hear from its founders as they recreate the museum in Guatemala and take their concept on the road to Los Angeles.
Sheetal Gandhi performing "Human Nature" | Courtesy of Sheetal Gandhi
The Fellowship that Fuels L.A.’s Avant-Garde Art Scene
Amid the tumultuous years of the culture wars in the 80s and 90s, L.A. showed its support for its creative residents, by setting up a fellowship designed to boost the city's cultural capital. Its legacy continues today.
'Invisible Cities' opera dress rehearsal in Union Station with Yuval Sharon at the foreground | David Livingston/Getty Images
5 Things to Know About MacArthur 'Genius' Yuval Sharon
Opera is often perceived as a staid and static art form, but director Yuval Sharon has made it his life’s work to push its boundaries. Here's a quick rundown of him and his work. 
Harry Gamboa Jr.'s "Chicano Male Unbonded" photos | Still from KCET video
Photo essay: Chicano Redefined
In his long-running photo series, “Chicano Male Unbonded," photographer Harry Gamboa Jr. meant to counteract all the negative stereotypes that stem from the word "Chicano." Meet a few of his past subjects.
Cactus explorer featured in "Xerophile: Cactus Photographs from Expeditions of the Obsessed;" Date and location unknown. (large)
Inside the Indiana Jones-like World of Cactus Explorers
The book “Xerophile” showcases photographs of cactus and the succulent-fixated adventurers who go to great lengths to photograph them and behold their magnificence.
&quot;for eleanor,&quot; 1964. Serigraph on Pellon. 30 x 36 inches. | Collection of Juliette Bellocq. Photograph by Arthur Evans, courtesy of the Tang Museum at Skidmore College.<br />
The Next Best Thing to Holding Sister Mary Corita Kent's Actual Prints
A nun and prolific artist, Sister Mary Corita Kent, produced almost 800 screen prints, creating over 800 serigraphs, thousands of watercolors, plus more public and private commissions. A '600-image' teaser is now available online at the Hammer Museum.
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How to Enjoy the L.A. River This Summer
Here's all you need to know about this year's L.A. River Recreation Zone.
Not A Cornfield
Field of Dreams: The Cornfield Throughout Los Angeles History
The land of Los Angeles State Historic Park has woven itself through Los Angeles history.
River of Willows
The Willows of the Los Angeles River
If one were to search for an iconic river tree, it would be the willow.
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