Samantha Avitia (she/her) is a Chicana teaching artist, California Naturalist and arts administrator born and raised in the East Side of Los Angeles. For eight years, Samantha has taught free art workshops highlighting the inseparable connection between nature and cultural arts. Her pedagogy emphasizes the urgency of respecting and caring for all living things. In her professional capacity, she co-manages the country’s largest arts internship program as the Arts Internship Program Specialist for the L.A. County Department of Arts and Culture.
Co-created with her ceramics mentor, Lizbeth Navarro, Milagros Para Nuestro Futuro (MPNF) is an initiative of hopeful visioning for Los Angeles’ Undocu+ community and their loved ones. Along with the Ceramics Department, Lizbeth and Samantha will continue expanding the MPNF initiative and manifest a brighter future for their community.