2013-present
Pop-up kitchen and discussion space
Various sites around California
The Experimental Quesadilla Lab, a popup kitchen and recipe exchange, centers the quesadilla to create discussion about colonialism, food injustice, health, Chicanx/Latinx and California identity by using cheeses, tortillas and other foods available in the neighborhood of the site. Participants use a lab slip and quesadilla elements to experiment with their own boundaries of culture and share with others. Accessibility, self-determination, and food as healing are bound into each event.
In 2016-2017, the lab was funded by a grant from Central Valley Community Foundation and sponsored by Fresno Arts Council. It has engaged communities across California at the Firebaugh Farmers Market, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego and Galería de la Raza in San Francisco.
Previous Sites
2019 Food Day LA 2019, Current LA:Food, Los Angeles City Hall, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Comida es Medicina, Galería de la Raza, San Francisco, CA
Sunday Funday, LA Food Fest, Civic Center Studios, Los Angeles, CA
TAG Workshop, Museum of Contemporary Modern Art San Diego, San Diego, CA
Thickets, Art Space Gallery, Fresno City College, Fresno, CA
2017 Food Day Tulare County, Exeter, CA
Saas-Fww Summer Institute of Art, Spike Art Quarterly, Berlin, Germany
Pico Block Party: Culture Mapping 90404, Santa Monica, CA
Wildwood Multicultural Symposium, Wildwood School, Santa Monica, CA
San Joaquin Farmers Market, San Joaquin, CA
Firebaugh Community Center, Firebaugh, CA
2016 Food Matters, Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, CA
California Arts Council Public Input Meeting, Fresno, CA
2015 Selecto Planta Baja, Los Angeles, CA
2013 Experimental Quesadilla Night, For Your Art, Los Angeles, CA
Spanspek Music and Arts Festival, Orosi, CA
Guest Chefs
Angel Aguirre, Home Cook
Leah Cruz, owner, Love 'N Light Wellness
Ricardo Diaz, owner, Cooks Tortas, Dorados Ceviche Bar, Guisados Tacos
Delphina Jones, Home Cook
Miriam Martinez, owner, La Jacka Mobile
Sol Orozco, owner, Raizana Tea Company
Sara Ramirez, former Director, Tulare County Food Bank
Dvera Saxton, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, California State University, Fresno
Guest Chef, Miriam Martinez, of La Jacka Mobile demonstrates how to cut a jackfruit to EQL participants at Firebaugh Community Center. 2017. video by Joseph Rios
EQL as part of Current LA: Food Public Art Triennial for Food Day LA by Los Angeles Food Policy Council at Los Angeles City Hall, 2019
Students from Salinas discuss food accessibility, gentrification and Latinx culture as part of Comida es Medicina at Galería de la Raza, 2018
Senior citizens gather at the rural Firebaugh Community Center to talk about food accessibiliy, nutrition and their English speaking grandchildren at this session of EQL conducted mostly in Spanish. Guest chef, Miriam Martinez of La Jacka Mobile. 2017
Copyright 2021. Teresa Flores