Self Help Graphics & Art facts for kids

Self-Help Graphics & Art, Inc. is a special arts center in East Los Angeles, California. It's a place where people come together to create and enjoy art. The building itself was built in 1927.

Self-Help Graphics started during a time when Mexican-American culture was celebrated, known as the Chicano Movement. It quickly became a key spot for the new Chicano art movement. Even today, it's very important for Chicano art and for the wider Los Angeles community. This center also hosts music shows and organizes Los Angeles's yearly Day of the Dead celebrations. Over the years, Self-Help Graphics has worked with famous artists. But its main goal has always been to teach and show the work of young and new artists. Many of these artists have become well-known around the world.

History of Self-Help Graphics

In 1970, an artist and nun named Karen Boccalero began making art prints in a garage in East Los Angeles. She worked with other Chicano artists like Carlos Bueno. They wanted to work together to support community art and local artists. Their goal was to use art to bring about positive changes in their neighborhoods, called the barrio. They also wanted to create a cultural arts center.

Their first art show happened the next year at a shopping center called El Mercado. In 1972, the group, which was first called Art Inc., changed its name to Self Help Graphics & Art. They found a home on the third floor of an office building in Boyle Heights. The Sisters of St. Francis helped pay for this space. The next year, the space grew even bigger with help from a grant.

Early Workshops and Funding

The first official activity at Self-Help Graphics was a workshop. It taught people how to make batik and silkscreen prints. This workshop ended with an art show. Artists paid a small fee and brought their own supplies. This started the tradition of Self-Help Graphics teaching new artists different printing techniques. Soon after, the California Arts Council provided money to hire artists as teachers.

At first, it was hard to get money for Self-Help Graphics. Karen Boccalero raised funds from art lovers and asked for donations from art stores and Catholic groups. In 1974, the artists realized they needed support from bigger organizations. So, Boccalero learned how to write grant applications. She also hired professional staff to help run the center.

Moving to a New Home

In 1979, Self-Help Graphics moved to a larger building. This building was on the corner of Cesar Chavez Avenue. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles owned the building. Self-Help Graphics paid only one dollar per year in rent! This shows how important the Church was in helping Self-Help Graphics exist back then.

The old Self-Help building had an art gallery called Galería Otra Vez. It also had a printing room, offices, and studios for artists. The outside walls of the building were decorated with ceramic pieces, mosaics, and murals. A large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was in the parking lot.

Changes and New Beginnings

Karen Boccalero was the director until she passed away in 1997. After her, Tomás Benítez took over. In 2005, the center faced financial problems. The doors of Self-Help Graphics were even locked for a short time. This made many artists and community members upset. Meetings were held to make sure the center would open again. They also wanted to prevent future problems with money or how the organization was run.

The main problem was that the building needed many repairs. Fundraisers were held, but they weren't enough to cover the costs. Also, the building was still owned by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Eventually, the Archdiocese sold the building. Self-Help Graphics tried to buy it, but they couldn't. Since they couldn't afford the rent anymore, they found a new place. In March 2011, Self-Help Graphics moved to its current location at 1300 East First Street in Los Angeles. The mosaic statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was also moved to the new building.

Art Programs at Self-Help Graphics

Self-Help Graphics has created many programs to help artists and the community.

Barrio Mobile Art Studio

In 1974, Self-Help Graphics started the Barrio Mobile Art Studio (BMAS). This was a large van filled with art supplies. Its goal was to help people enjoy art and express themselves. It also helped them learn more about Chicano culture. During the week, the BMAS visited schools. It taught photography, batik, sculpture, puppetry, and filmmaking. On weekends, the van went to neighborhoods like Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights. It provided art materials and training to people of all ages. Even members of street groups were encouraged to join. They used the materials to create a newsletter. This program ended in 1985, but it became a model for similar art programs in other cities.

Atelier Program

In 1982, Self-Help Graphics started the "Experimental Screenprint Atelier." This was a workshop for making very fine art prints called serigraphy. This technique was more expensive and needed more skill than regular silkscreening. It allowed artists more freedom to express themselves. It also created higher-quality art. This brought more respect to both the artists and the center. Making high-quality art also helped Self-Help Graphics earn money by selling the prints.

These workshops are held at least twice a year. They often focus on a specific topic. For example, artists made prints about gentrification when people were being forced out of their homes. Other themes have included the Virgin of Guadalupe, AIDS, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and the poet Sor Juana. There are also special projects, like the Maestras Atelier. This workshop is just for female artists.

Chicano Expressions Exhibit

"Chicano Expressions" was an art exhibit that traveled around the world. It was funded to show "American values and culture." This exhibit featured art from 20 artists. It traveled to countries like South Africa, Germany, and France in 1993. Karen Boccalero found money so some artists and staff could travel with the exhibit. This helped artists from different countries connect with each other.

In 1996, Self-Help Graphics & Art was invited to Glasgow, Scotland. They worked with artists there on Day of the Dead workshops and celebrations.

Day of the Dead Celebrations

The Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an ancient holiday. Bringing it back was a way for Mexican-Americans to connect with their indigenous heritage. This was a very important part of the Chicano Movement. Self-Help Graphics played a huge role in bringing this holiday back to life in California.

The first celebration was in 1974. By 1978, it had become a big event that needed a lot of funding. Today, the Day of the Dead is one of Los Angeles's biggest celebrations. It receives money from many sources, including the National Endowment for the Humanities.

How the Celebration Works

Preparation usually starts in August. People learn how to make papel picado (paper cutouts), build altars, and make prints. On November 1, many people paint their faces like calaveras (skulls). They walk in a procession down Cesar Chavez Avenue to Evergreen Cemetery. There, people set up personal and family altars. They offer food like pan de muerto (bread of the dead) to their family members who have passed away. Sometimes, a church service is held there.

Afterward, everyone returns to Self-Help Graphics. Altars, ofrendas (offerings), prints, and other artworks are shown. There are often music and theater performances. In 1978, Luis Valdez's Teatro Campesino performed a play as part of the event.

Art and Messages

The Day of the Dead event is a chance to "learn about the important role that heritage and tradition play in defining who we are." But it's also used to make artistic and political statements. In 1974, a Chicano art group called Asco did something different. They showed up in wild costumes, acting out an "absurdist message." This was a playful challenge to the traditional way Self-Help Graphics was celebrating the holiday. The artists wanted to show that the Day of the Dead could mean many different things.

The Day of the Dead has also been used to mourn people who have died from violence. For example, altars have been made to honor victims of the Iraq War. These altars might include text or images that show how many Latino soldiers were affected.

In 2000, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco had an exhibit about Day of the Dead celebrations. It featured the celebrations at Self-Help Graphics.

By 2009, the Day of the Dead Celebration had grown too big for the Self-Help Graphics parking lot. The celebration moved to its current location at the East Los Angeles Civic Center.

This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.