“The time has come for us to renovate and rebuild our 113+-year-old building, to better serve the community, expand our programmatic space, and integrate health and wellness into our workspaces through green spaces. ”
Dear Culture Makers and Culture Keepers,
Self Help Graphics & Art has served Angelenos for 50 years through our diverse artistic and cultural programming, providing our intergenerational Eastside communities, youth, and artists with immersive and educational content since 1973.
SHG’s youth programs, printmaking facilities, exhibitions and cultural programs like Día de los Muertos have provided thousands of people with empowering community-building activities rooted in social justice and the advancement of Latinx art and culture. We have done this work on the streets through the Barrio Mobile Art Studio, and from buildings that were adapted to meet the needs of the community, improvising where we could and with the resources at our disposal. The time has come for us to renovate and rebuild our 113+-year-old building, to better serve the community, expand our programmatic space, and integrate health and wellness into our workspaces through green spaces.
The content on this site is a snapshot of the renovation to come, and we invite you to join us in the support of the transformation of our site. We encourage you to contact us to learn how you can contribute to the future of SHG and the arts in Los Angeles.
¡Adelante! Onward!
- Self Help Graphics Board and Staff
LEARN ABOUT 2024 BUILDING RENOVATION INFO FOR CONTRACTORS
Self Help Graphics & Art will embark on a building renovation in spring/summer 2024. As part of the renovation we have partnered with NAC Architecture, project managers TELACU and construction company Swinerton, to support this 18-month project.
As part of this process, Swinerton will manage the bidding process for participation. As a community based organization we would like to amplify opportunities for the local workforce, in and around the surrounding neighborhoods of SHG, to learn about bid opportunities and how to qualify as a subcontractor, among other project requisites.
To learn more about this process, please visit the Swinterton website, where you can find further information.
COMMUNITY NEED
CHALLENGE - Limited access to green space, and ripple effects posing negative health impacts.
IMPACT - The inclusion of green space combined with artistic and cultural programs will provide community members with positive mental health activities. The expansion of our programmatic space to the exterior of our building will provide the organization with the opportunity to develop programs that promote physical activity such as yoga, Zumba, and relaxing exercises.
CHALLENGE - Economic Inequity and Economic Impact of COVID on Community
The pandemic has made the gaps in educational, health and financial equity more transparent among vulnerable communities including our community members, our artists, and cultural workers.
IMPACT - SHG’s Barrio Mobile Art Studio employs 21 teaching artists to lead our artistic workshops both on-site and throughout Los Angeles County. Our teaching artists are local residents and working-class people of color who rely on multiple sources of income to sustain their livelihood and maintain their art practice. This site will provide significant work opportunities both within the arts and through the day-to-day operations.
CHALLENGE - Health Inequities and Health Impact of COVID 19
SHG is keenly aware of the severe impact of COVID19 on our communities in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles. Of the total covid-related deaths in Los Angeles County (1,130,788), roughly 48% of those have been Latinx (552,247).
IMPACT- SHG’s property concept design envisions a site that better leverages the property and will create a fluid indoor-outdoor experience to prioritize the health and wellness of our community members and program participants. The renovation of the 112-year old building will prioritize proper air circulation and includes amenities that will enable programs and workshops to take place outdoors.
As a significantly improved site from the current concrete space, partners that support and serve the community in a variety of ways will also be able to leverage the park for programs in addition to what SHG will continue to offer.
CHALLENGE - Limited access to art/culture education
For decades Boyle Heights’ education system has experienced many challenges due to lack of funding.
IMPACT - Self Help Graphics has worked with local schools to fill the gaps in education and create enriching cultural experiences for our youth that promote positive ways of self-expression, introduce youth to careers in the arts sector, and promote self-empowerment. In an effort to provide the youth with arts programming through various workshops and cultural events, classes, exhibition walkthroughs and special programming is offered at SHG to support healthy youth development and inspire the youth to be leaders and drivers of social change, motivating them to participate in creative activities.
CHALLENGE - Gentrification and Displacement, Lack of Accessible Space
In recent years, gentrification and displacement have become a critical issue in Boyle Heights, one that SHG itself has been victim to during the real estate speculation in East LA. As these pressures have only worsened, we have reflected on ways we can better serve our neighbors and the creative community towards economic and financial stability within our mission.
IMPACT - Artists and creatives from our community are often low-income, juggle multiple jobs and cannot afford studio space for their creative work. The Self Help Graphics & Art Park will provide accessible (free and low-cost) opportunities for artists to work on projects that they may not be able to complete at home where there may not be sufficient space and where family obligations take priority. Our center is a creative hub and we are in the research and planning phase to create the kind of programming that will leverage our existing expertise to support our community members through a creative workforce development lens and aid in the economic recovery post COVID19.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SHG conducted a comprehensive outreach for its community-based Planning and draft design review meetings:
The 14 meetings were held throughout 2019 and 2020, in-person and via Zoom with Spanish language translation provided.
Meetings were attended by local community residents, artists, current and previous board members and local community who regularly attend SHG art events, exhibitions and workshops.
Community input was gathered via feedback and ideas, instant survey polls, zoom chats and email and paper forms.
INVESTING IN THE EASTSIDE - THE CAMPAIGN FOR SHG
The campaign goal is just over $13.14 million
It provides for:
Inclusion of art and wellness gardens on the property.
Mature Sycamore trees and native plants in homage to first peoples.
The inclusion of murals and public art opportunities on building’s exterior.
Upgrade and expansion of communal mixed-use space with modular walls and furnishings.
Upgrade and expansion of Professional Printmaking Studio.
Upgraded ventilation systems to support post-COVID health concerns.
Upgrading of all printmaking equipment and tools for workshops and professional development programs.
Renovation of archive repository to protect cultural heritage.
Improved lighting throughout the facilities and exterior portion of the building.
A sustainable building that optimizes natural light and airflow.
A maintenance reserve–to ensure that the building will receive proper care.
A programming reserve–to ensure that the building will be filled with impactful programming.
Soft costs to support Permanent Roots, including increased staff capacity and a contingency fund.
Be a part of the legacy and the future of SHG
Self Help Graphics & Art is grateful for the generous support of the following donors. Their commitment to our work and to the community on the Eastside and beyond is essential to the future of our work, and would not be possible without their contributions, their advocacy and their stewardship. We call on you, to join our Capital Campaign and be a part of the legacy of Self Help Graphics & Art.
Individuals:
Zac Guevara*
Vera Campbell*
Alfred Fraijo and Art Becerra*
• Luis Rivera
• Karen Mary Davalos
• Keri Castaneda and Alejandro Lara
• Justin Woodward
• Paulina Flores
• Roberta Tinajero-Frankel
• Yvonne Colacion
• Endy Bernal
• Wayne Perry
Anonymous
Genoveva Arellano
Rachel Allen
Jesse Casso
Karen Constine
Edgar & Norma Coronado
Glen Dake
Theresa Delgadillo
David Diaz
Lee Draper
Guisela La Torre
Lara Medina and Gilbert Cadena
Anita Miranda
Rita Morales
Kate O’Neal
Annemarie Perez
Nick Renteria
Terezita Romo
Kene Rosa
Belinda Teitel
Albert and Tracy Valencia
Linda Vallejo
Alice and Greg Velasquez
*Lead Gifts
• SHG Board Members
Government, Foundations and Corporate Supporters:
State of California
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
La Vida Feliz Foundation
State of California Museum Grant Prgm
City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis
Former County Supervisor Gloria Molina
Weingart Foundation
Perenchio Foundation
The Ahmanson Foundation
The California Endowment
California Community Foundation
The Vera Campbell Foundation
Ruth Foundation for the Art
TOMS Shoes
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paulina M. Flores, Board Chair
Promesa Boyle Heights
Maribel Pichardo, Board Secretary
Assistant Vice President, Business Analysis Manager
Capital Group
Keri V. Castañeda, Vice Chair
Chief Program OfficerAbilityFirst
Luis Rivera, Treasurer
Director of Accounting
Entravision Communication Corporation
Yvonne Colacion
Designer, Principal at Colacion Studios
Martha Gonzalez Artivista and Associate Professor
Department of Chicano & Latino Studies, Scripps College
Yvonne Drazan Vice President West Coast Peer Music
Dalila Paola Mendez
Artist
Maribel Norris Valderrama
Assistant Vice President, Business Analysis Manager
Capital Group
Endy Bernal, Chair
Artist
Dr. Karen Mary Davalos
Professor
Department of Chicano & Latino Studies University of Minnesota
Wayne Perry
Artist
Cecilia Brennan
Managing Partner, HKM