Dear Self Help Graphics Community and Friends, 
The team here at SHG is still processing the atrocity of the attempted coup in DC last week, an insurrection rooted in racist and white supremacist values. What is clear, however, is that BIPOC communities are not surprised - we have dealt with this double standard of policing  for decades and the Black community for centuries. We also don’t want to forget the historic senate wins that took place in Georgia on the same day - this duality is our country. Instead of losing hope, we’re staying focused on the coalition-building and mutual aid that takes place locally and through which we can make short and long-term impacts. 

Nonetheless, we begin 2021 with good news and additions to the SHG community and some farewells. The ripple effects of 2020 will continue to challenge us, but the year also included incredible moments and achievements that we’re excited to share with you. 

In the Fall, the Andrew Mellon Foundation awarded Self Help Graphics with the single largest non-capital grant the organization has received to date - $350,000 over two years. This grant for Capacity Building and Radical Future Visioning will support the hiring of two key positions as well as a critical process of reflection and future planning that will fortify Self Help Graphics as we approach the benchmark of our 50th anniversary year in 2023/2024, with the support of arts leaders Quetzal Flores and Alison De La Cruz. At a time when Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has come to the forefront in the arts, we are grateful for the leadership of the Mellon Foundation who came to us and said “what do you need?” As a nationally recognized legacy Chicanx organization with 48 years of community building through art under our belt, this trust and confidence in our work is exactly what steps toward equity look like. More to come on this process and our progress. 

In 2020, we welcomed three new board members - Linda Essig, Martha Gonzalez, and Maribel Norris Valderrama (read more about them below), all of whom have stepped up to be part of our leadership during a time of great uncertainty. And we said farewell to Alexa Kim, our Program Manager. She’s joined the team at Koreatown Youth and Community Center and while we are sad to lose her, Alexa’s impact will remain. Please join us in congratulating her on this next step in Alexa’s career. We wish her the best! We also saw the beautiful blossoming of former Studio Coordinator, Andi Ramirez, and her store Latinx with Plants. She has opened up two locations in Boyle Heights to support our community with healing through plants and to support her family. She remains connected to SHG as a teaching artist and we are grateful for her time in the studio. You can learn more about both Alexa and Andi’s tenure on our blog. 

And finally, with the support of the Mellon Foundation, the Getty Foundation, and because it is simply overdue, our team is growing! We currently have five open positions (two full-time, two part-time, and one temporary). We have often lauded our ability to do so much with a lean and mighty team, but as we move toward a cultural practice that is sustainable and prioritizes the health and wellness of our staff, we must grow. We recognize the privilege of this position at a time when many of our peers in the field are struggling, and we are tremendously grateful to the community of supporters who have ensured we can continue to do our work and have helped to get Self Help Graphics & Art to this point. 

Wishing you all health and abundance in 2021 and hoping we can safely see you in person soon. 

Warmly,
Betty Avila
Executive Director