Since the 1970s, Self Help Graphics’ mission has been to create accessibility to the arts. Inspired by this mission, the Barrio Mobile Art Studio (BMAS) was created to bring free art workshops to the community that could be enjoyed by all ages.

As an artist that grew up in South Central LA, an area with very few art programs/resources, this mission has always resonated with me and I continue to carry it in my work as SHG’s Art Services Manager. As the Art Services Manager, my job involves coordinating workshops with community partners, working closely with our cohort of teaching artists, and overseeing other art services such as murals and commissions.

BMAS’s goal to offer multigenerational workshops inspired me to develop a program that served one of our most valuable populations, our elders. In the same spirit of nurturing future generations with programs such as S.O.Y. Artista, I wanted to do the same for our older generations who may not have had the same opportunities at a younger age.

Through this program, Self Help Graphics partners with a community organization to provide a mini series of weekly workshops that give senior citizens the opportunity to explore their creativity and learn new artforms. Our teaching artists develop a project or individual weekly lessons based on the senior’s interests and themes that are important to them. Additionally, in an effort to create art experiences that are accessible and inclusive to our native spanish-speaking population, our workshops are bilingual.

Lastly, these workshops are always free for participants to attend and made possible through grant funding from The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA).

The first iteration of this program was done in partnership with the East Los Angeles Community Corporation (ELACC) at the Cielito Lindo Apartments, an affordable housing unit whose percentage of residents are senior citizens. This mini workshop series took place in May 2023 and was led by our teaching artist Martha Carrillo and assistant artist Connie Mendoza.

In this series, Martha taught participants the art of paper mache and how to create decorations, such as bowls, for the senior’s homes or common areas. Many of the seniors attending were familiar with paper mache in their own tradition or through the calavera paper mache workshops Self Help Graphics offers annually during the Day of the Dead season. Participants shared that they really appreciated the chance to learn new techniques and other ways to use this medium to express themselves.

After the successful completion of this workshop series with the Cielito Lindo Apartment seniors, our BMAS team continues to plan and welcome new partnerships to serve more senior citizens throughout Los Angeles.

If your organization serves seniors, is within the city of Los Angeles, and you are interested in partnering up with a us for a mini series, please reach out to me via email at cynthia.navarro@selfhelpgraphics.com.

Cynthia is the Art Services Manager at Self Help Graphics & Art. Cynthia is an illustrator from South Central Los Angeles.