Arts Programming
Arts Programming at the Blinn
The historic Blinn House is Pasadena Heritage’s headquarters and an active community arts space that hosts monthly programs bringing artists, musicians, historians, and makers into dialogue with the public. Set within a landmark Prairie style residence, these programs create an intimate environment for creative work, cultural exchange, and community gathering.
Programming includes live performances, artist talks, exhibitions, workshops, and artist-in-residence activities that reflect Pasadena’s diverse cultural landscape. By regularly activating the Blinn House as a venue for the arts, Pasadena Heritage expands access to creative experiences while demonstrating how historic places can serve as vital, contemporary cultural spaces.
2026 Artist in Residence
Photographs by Lindsey Kusterman
Shagho is a multidisciplinary design leader, artist, and cultural practitioner who works at the frontiers of innovation and community. As founder of Folk Lounge, she facilitates cultural programming to study the grammar of ornament known for Embroidery Socials across LA parks to explore how traditional craft practices foster community, continue cultural preservation in contemporary urban settings, connect us with land and encourage being. Born in Vladivostok, of Armenian and Russian heritage, she holds a BS in Fashion Design and an MFA in Human-Computer Interaction from California College of the Arts. She believes in the power of collective making to weave new connections between past wisdom and future possibility.
We are excited to welcome artist Shagho (she/her) as our 2026 artist in residence at Pasadena Heritage. Her research at local museums led her to sharing the idea of open archives with the public and creative communities. Visiting the Pasadena History museum, she discovered Ernest Batchelder design textbooks and the museum's public call to collect citizen databases of his work. Inspired to highlight both, she was awarded a City of Pasadena individual artist grant to host a workshop series to bring the language of ornamentation, nature and Pasadena culture into community practice. She will be working with us in the coming weeks on creative programming, new ideas and craft heritage.
Upcoming Programs
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Embroidery Social
01.31 10:00AM-12:00PM
A morning of creative connection and cultural celebration.
This is more than an embroidery gathering—it's a sanctuary where creativity, community, and cultural storytelling come alive through needle and thread. Whether you're just beginning or have been stitching for years, you're invited to bring a project or start something new, and immerse yourself in a circle that nurtures both skill and soul.
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Women's Work: The Art and Craft of Weaving in Rural Morocco
02.12 6:00-7:30PM
Weaving is an intergenerational craft passed down amongst the women of Morocco. In this lecture we’ll explore village life and the evolution of weaving from craft to commerce.
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Pattern Keepers: Batchelder Nature In Relief - Workshop 3/3: Cosmos
02.14 2:00-5:00PM
Join artist and community facilitator Shagho (she/her) for a hands-on series exploring Ernest Batchelder’s ornamental legacy through nature’s hidden patterns. Inspired by local flora and fauna—from eucalyptus pods to hummingbirds—participants will translate natural geometries into relief and surface design while reflecting on craft, ecology, and collective imagination.
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Embroidery Social
2.28 10:00AM-12:00PM
A morning of creative connection and cultural celebration.
This is more than an embroidery gathering—it's a sanctuary where creativity, community, and cultural storytelling come alive through needle and thread. Whether you're just beginning or have been stitching for years, you're invited to bring a project or start something new, and immerse yourself in a circle that nurtures both skill and soul.
