By: Betty Avila

In October of 2020, Self Help Graphics & Art said farewell to Program Manager, Alexa Kim. Alexa joined the team at Koreatown Youth and Community Center and while we are sad to lose her, Alexa’s impact will remain. During her time at SHG, she was essential to a major overhaul of our print database and led the way on an appraisal of our entire inventory (prints from 1973 to present).

She was part of the curatorial team for the Getty’s PST:LA/LA exhibition Día de los Muertos: A Cultural Legacy, Past, Present and Future, which included multiple research trips to the SHG archives at UC Santa Barbara. Alexa structured our volunteer program, supported the print studios and managed all administrative needs of the org, in addition to overseeing the prints, working with our annual interns and serving as a Learning Hub Community Leader for the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship for several years. 

“My years with Self Help Graphics were a very special time of learning and growth in my life. I'm so grateful for my SHG journey and all of the artists, community, and team who were a part of my time there. SHG showed me the power of art and community, and that is something I will forever take with me,” said Alexa. 

Alexa was truly the right hand person of Self Help for six years and in a full circle experience, she started and ended her tenure with our Día de los Muertos season, during which she was key to all logistics and brought in her friends and family to participate. She was not one for the spotlight, but if you came to Self Help Graphics in these last six years, you benefited from her contribution to our team and to our programs. 

Please join us in congratulating her on this next step in her career. We wish her the best and know we’ll be seeing her again when soon! 

Betty Avila is Executive Director of Self Help Graphics & Art.