Staff

Evonne Gallardo, Executive Director

Evonne Gallardo is the Executive Director of Self Help Graphics & Art. No stranger, to the organization, Gallardo served as Self Help's Director of Development between 2001 – 2003, helping the organization raise close to $1.2 million in operating and capital funding. Passionate about the role that artists play in society, Evonne has worked in arts organizations for almost 20 years in both New York and Los Angeles, and received a master's degree in the Sociology of Art from the New School for Social Research in 2000. While at the New School, Gallardo explored how Chican@ artists balanced creative processes and identity politics during the Chican@ Arts Movement. The democratization of ideas and aesthetics through the use of mediums such as printmaking, as well as the challenge of building consensus around concepts of identity, were the focus of her thesis. Gallardo's experience includes working with diverse arts and culture organizations, beginning with Dia Center for the Arts from 1993-2000--a contemporary art museum focused on artists and their exploration of long term and large scale works. Between 2004 and 2009, Gallardo worked with organizations including the Claremont Museum of Art and Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), a Hollywood-based charity that focuses on HIV/AIDS, voting rights, and empowering youth. At ANSA, Gallardo helped develop domestic and international special projects and fundraising events, and worked to create unique partnerships with entities such as Creative Artist Agency, Lucas Films, and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Since returning to Self Help Graphics & Art in 2009, Gallardo has helped stabilize the 40-year old arts organization by bringing in almost $1.5 million dollars, in addition to planning and overseeing the organization' major site relocation to Boyle Heights/East Los Angeles in the Spring of 2011. Born and raised in East "El Ley", Evonne studied American History at Columbia University and received her B.A. in 1993.

Jose Alpuche, Master Printer

Education: Universidad de Merida, Yucatan, Mexico and Instituto de Bellas Artes in Merida. "Throughout the many years as a Master Printer, I have acquired and developed new techniques for the silkscreen medium. This knowledge has enabled me to innovate and help facilitate new ideas during the collaboration process between myself and the artist". 1992- Present: Master Printer for Self Help Graphics & Art, East Los Angeles, California. Alpuche collaborated on the production of limited edition prints for Self Help Graphics' Professional Printmaking Program, working with many emerging and established artists. Alpuche also helped pioneer Self Help Graphics’ mono-silkscreening and worked on many special projects. Artists include: Diane Gamboa, Patssi Valdez, Margaret Garcia, Dolores Guerrero-Cruz, Frank Romero, John Valadez, Willie Herron, Wayne Healy, Michael Amescua, Leo Limon, Salomon Huerta, and Robert Graham. Alpuche has participated in many national and international special projects such as UKLA '94, working with artists Ashley Cook and Janie Nicole from Glasgow, Scotland; Felipe Ehrenberg from Mexico City and Alejandro Romero and Salvador Vega from Chicago. In 1994, Alpuche collaborated with Alex Alferov on a print "Homage" to John Cage as part of MOCA’s Rolywholyover A Circus.

Joel "rage.one" Garcia, Program Manager

Joel "rage.one" Garcia is a visual artist who uses his art to shine a light on issues facing indigenous communities as well as youth dealing with hardships in the inner-city. Growing up in the East Los punk scene of the late 80's/early 90's, and mentoring under famed East Los Angeles muralist Paul Botello, Garcia has worked as a visual artist for Epitaph Records during punk rock's golden years of the late 90's/early 00's. Organizing & touring North America, but especially growing up in the Maravilla Projects during LA's worst gang years, helped shape Joel's global vision, taking to heart the needs of inner-city & urban indigenous youth and pushing him into using his art to provide a voice for the voiceless. Joel has design & created album covers and record packaging for musicians such as The Black Keys, F-Minus, Union13, Flogging Molly, The Casualties, Las Cafeteras among others. He has also booked music tours in North America, Costa Rica, Peru & Europe helping expand Chicano & Mexican Punk Music.

Joel has also has worked with and donated, art & design work for organizations and social justice issues such as: the Dolores Huerta Foundation, UFW United Farm Workers, Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural, The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Japanese American National Museum, the Save Ethnics Studies Campaign in Arizona, Alto Arizona Campaign against SB1070, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the Cucapa Campaign for Ancestral Fishing Rights along with many others causes and organizations.