Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Self Help Graphics and Art archives
CEMA 3
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Self Help Graphics and Art archives
Identifier/Call Number: CEMA 3
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
80 linear feet
(68 boxes: includes 5 oversize, 3 photo binder boxes, 18 slide albums, and over 650 posters)
Creator:
Self-Help Graphics and Art, Inc.
Date (inclusive): 1960-2017
Abstract: Extensive collection of silk screen prints and slides, as well as organizational records, photographs, and ephemera of the
Los Angeles cultural arts center and studio. Founded in the early 1970s, during the height of the Chicano Civil Rights movement,
by Mexican artists Carlos Bueno and Antonio Ibaez, and several Chicano artists, including Frank Hernandez and Sister Karen
Boccalero. The collection spans from 1960 to 2017, with the bulk of the material ranging from 1972-1992.
Language of Material: Collection is predominantly in English, with some materials in Spanish.
The collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
[Identification of Item], Self Help Graphics and Art archives, CEMA 3. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa
Barbara Library
Donated by Self Help Graphics and Art in 1986 and continues to grow yearly.
Finding aid prepared by: Project Archivist Salvador Güereña. Principal processors Rosemary León, Alicia E. Rodríquez, Naomi
Ramieri-Hall, Alexander Hauschild, Victor Alexander Muñoz, Maria Velasco, and Benjamin Wood. Curatorial support Zuoyue Wang.
Updated by Callie Bowdish and Katherine H. Aguilar.
Supplemental materials processed and finding aid updated in 2018 by Mari Khasmanyan and Chelsea Lumidao.
Self-Help Graphics and Art, Inc. is a non-profit organization and serves as an important cultural arts center that has encouraged
and promoted Chicano/a art in the Los Angeles community and beyond.
The seeds of what would become Self-Help Graphics and Art, Inc. were planted in 1970 during the height of the Chicano Civil
Rights movement when two young Mexican artists, Carlos Bueno and Antonio Ibaez and several Chicano artists, including Frank
Hernandez, met Franciscan nun and Temple University-trained Master Artist, Sister Karen Boccalero. Reflective of the contemporary
social and political climate, Bueno and Ibaez were frustrated by the inaccessibility and lack of facilities available to young
Chicanos wishing to develop their talents as artists. The cost of private art schools were prohibitive to most Chicanos. While
it is generally conceded that art is an intensely personal expression that holds no creative boundaries, some in the art world
did not yet accept the concept of a unique Chicano art that would serve as an expression of cultural values. In this context,
they set out to develop a plan that would remedy this situation; a plan that would not only serve the needs of aspiring Chicano
artists, but that would also serve the greater East Los Angeles community.
Long hours of careful planning and canvassing the community for support ultimately paid off. With a grant from the Order of
the Sisters of St. Francis, the trio (who by this time were joined by others interested in serving their cause) were able
to acquire 2,000 square feet of space that had once served as a gymnasium in the heart of East Los Angeles. Its subsequent
conversion into an art studio and gallery enabled the group to open the doors of Self-Help Graphics in 1972. The organization
was so well received by the surrounding community and by aspiring artists that operations soon outgrew the 2,000 square foot
facility. Continuing the search for funding through public as well as private resources, a grant from the Campaign for Human
Development in 1973 enabled SHGA to acquire an additional 7,000 square feet adjacent to the existing studio and gallery space.
Once Self-Help Graphics and Art was firmly established as an art center, the core members of the group began to think beyond
the walls of the studio and imagine how in addition to developing their own talents and furthering Chicano art, they could
reach out in a way that would benefit the greater East Los Angeles community. Placed in its larger historical context, Self-Help
Graphics and Art's efforts may be seen as a microcosm of the macrocosmic Chicano Power movement of the late 1960s and early
1970s. One of the goals of this movement was to foster an appreciation for Chicano roots. Chicano activists placed an emphasis
on their Mesoamerican past rather than on their European Spanish heritage. Many contemporary activists argued that rather
than honoring and preserving this heritage, the dominant Anglo socio-cultural norms were eroding the indigenous culture. Like
these activists, Self-Help Graphics and Art feared that within such an atmosphere, young Chicanos would not only soon forget
their cultural values, but would also develop a negative sense of their heritage and of themselves in light of the Anglo socio-cultural
practices and values being taught in the public school system and disseminated by the popular media.
Self-Help Graphics and Art spent long hours developing and planning ways through which in addition to exposing barrio children
to a variety of artistic media, they could utilize art forms to instill within these children a positive sense of self, community,
and culture. Many of the children that Self-Help Graphics and Art wished to help were either immigrants themselves, or the
sons and daughters of immigrants not far removed from their Mexican past. Since participation in art does not require a sophisticated
command of spoken or written language, art was perceived as an excellent vehicle by which to achieve this end.
While Self-Help Graphics and Art held workshops on its premises to educate neighborhood children (as well as adults) about
art and culture, the sheer physical geography of East Los Angeles isolated much of the target group from their services. In
an effort to remedy this shortcoming, they set out to devise a plan that would bring the art studio to the surrounding community.
In August 1975, following an exhaustive fund raising campaign, Self-Help Graphics and Art instituted the Barrio Mobile Art
Studio. The organization acquired and customized a van for this purpose. This specially equipped van introduced children to
filmmaking, silkscreen, photography, sculpture, batik, painting, and puppetry. Through contract with the Los Angeles Unified
School District, Self-Help Graphics and Art was able to bring its program to various East Los Angeles elementary schools and
thus provide a level of multicultural education in the arts to children who currently had none in their curriculum. The Barrio
Mobile Art Studio program was enormously successful and well received by students, teachers, school administrators, and civic
leaders. It remained in operation until Self-Help Graphics and Art phased out the program in 1985. Arguably, the Barrio Mobile
Art Studio served as a prototype for the types of multicultural curriculum programs that the Los Angeles Unified School District
would later adopt.
Self-Help Graphics and Art has played an active role in community affairs. Included among these activities are the sponsoring
of numerous workshops and art exhibitions. Ever since 1974, the organization staged the now nationally recognized East Los
Angeles Dia de los Muertos Celebration. This holiday, which is traditionally celebrated on November 1 and has its origins
in Mexico, was originally conceived of as a one-time celebration to be staged by Self-Help Graphics and Art. The following
year the community demand for this event was so great that the organization decided to continue sponsoring the annual event.
With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the East Los Angeles
Dia de los Muertos celebration grew into an event that attracted national attention. The elaborate celebration continued to
survive and thrive not only because of grant money received from numerous public agencies and private foundations, but through
the widespread community support that served as the backbone for producing the celebration. This three day celebration accomplished
some of Self-Help Graphics and Art's goals by educating East Los Angeles residents of their heritage, introducing them to
the creative processes involved in art, and ultimately, helping to build a stronger community. By 1985, the Dia de los Muertos
celebration had become so popular among the residents of East Los Angeles that the program could be sustained without the
primary support of Self-Help Graphics and Art. With assurance that others would take up the responsibility for planning and
organizing the event, the organization decided to take a secondary role in staging the celebration. Such a role allowed SHGA
to devote more time and energy to the primary reason behind its founding: furthering Chicano Art and providing a training
ground for aspiring Chicano artists.
Self-Help Graphics and Art has developed a national reputation for the exceptional quality of the screenprints produced by
artists at the facility, while its private gallery, the Galera Otra Vez, also receives much praise and is well recognized
as an important arena for exhibiting artists' works. With its continued emphasis on advancing Chicano art, Self-Help Graphics
and Art remains one of the most important centers in the country for training Chicano artists.
The Self-Help Graphics and Art, Inc. Collection (SHG) consists of eight series distributed among sixty-seven archival boxes
that occupy twenty-seven linear feet of space. These boxes hold information pertaining to the everyday operation of SHGA.
In addition, the collection contains over 650 silk screens that were produced at the East Los Angeles facility. The organizational
records cover the years 1960-1997, while the silk screen series holds works that were produced between 1979-2017.
Series I, Internal Administrative Records.
This series includes a wide range of administrative records that include correspondence, personnel files, exhibition related
material, grant proposal information, and miscellaneous articles.
The first subseries contains incoming correspondence (arranged alphabetically by sender). Letters call attention to the valuable
social and cultural benefits provided to the East Los Angeles area as a result of the community activities sponsored by Self-Help
Graphics and Art. Outgoing correspondence (arranged chronologically) largely consists of copies of letters and reports mailed
to current and potential financial supporters in an effort to keep them apprised of the services SHG provided to the community,
as well as to inform them of the successes of its outreach programs. Public relations materials of this kind were used to
acquire future support and to help ensure continued support from those already financially assisting SHG. The multitude of
outgoing correspondence reflects the tireless efforts of a grassroots organization struggling to secure funding for continued
operation.
Also included in this series are Educational Programs. This subseries consists of documents that may be used to trace SHG's
efforts to expose the low-income and otherwise culturally isolated East Los Angeles community to various types of art media
and techniques for producing art. In addition to developing an appreciation for the arts, the participants in these SHG- sponsored
educational programs were encouraged to use art as means of cultural expression. Another goal of SHG's programs was to instill
within each participant a sense of pride in his or her Chicano culture.
In addition to housing documents which describe the educational programs implemented by SHG at local public and private schools,
this subseries consists of information pertaining to the many programs sponsored at locations throughout the East Los Angeles
community, as well as those held at the SHG Avenida Cesar Chavez facilities. Of particular interest are the contracts between
the Los Angeles Unified School District and SHG which outlined the policies and guidelines for services rendered by SHG to
the District. Also of interest are documents which detail the program agenda and goals of the activities which SHG developed
for the many East Los Angeles schools it visited.
The Exhibition subseries consists of loan agreements, print purchase receipts, and documents relating to exhibitions sponsored
by SHG. The organization has sponsored exhibitions and loaned prints to galleries both nationally and internationally. While
the exhibition documentation represents a small number of the exhibitions actually staged, the materials preserved in this
subseries are indeed rich.
The General subseries consists of a wide variety of material that is related directly and indirectly to activities of SHG.
Contracts for artworks commissioned by SHG, minutes of meetings of various Chicano artist organizations, and information which
highlights various Chicano issues on the state and local level are among the most significant holdings in this subseries.
They reflect the social and political climate under which SHG operated during various phases of its existence. (Minutes of
SHG staff meetings are found in the Personnel subseries.
The Grant Proposals, Reports, and Applications, subseries is the largest in Series I. The California Arts Council, the Campaign
for Human Development, the City of Los Angeles, and the National Endowment for the Arts figure prominently among the many
institutions that provided funding to SHG. Documentation of various gifts and grants awarded by these agencies are a large
part of this subseries. This subseries includes copies of applications for funds submitted to various public and private foundations,
detailed proposals of the programs for which SHG requested funding, and actual contracts between SHG and various supporters.
These contracts reveal the amount of the grant and detail the provisions of the award. Included in this subseries are a multitude
of letters of inquiry from Sister Karen Boccalero to various organizations requesting information on the types and conditions
of grants offered by these groups. Also included are a number of replies from agencies which rejected SHG's requests for support.
The Newspapers, Magazines, and Miscellaneous Articles subseries primarily consists of clippings which highlight the accomplishments
of and services provided by SHG. Most of the articles in this subseries deal in general with SHG's activities and programs.
Articles that focus primarily with the Barrio Mobile Art Studio and the Día de los Muertos are found in their appropriate
series. The clippings in this subseries were originally found in Spanish as well as English language publications. There are
also materials which do not deal directly with the activities of SHG, but were housed in the organizational files of SHG and
are retained in this collection at the request of Sister Karen Boccalero.
SHG subscribed to numerous periodicals which focused on Chicano art and culture. These periodicals, which SHG kept among their
organizational files for reference, were not produced by SHG, and because they are among the titles that are already held
by the UCSB Library, they have been removed from the SHG archives.
The Personnel subseries holds applications, resumes, and other personnel-related documents pertaining to artists and other
staff employed by SHG. These records, however, provide only an impressionistic view of SHG's personnel history and should
not be interpreted as a complete collection of the personnel files of all those who were a part of SHG during the 1972-1990
period. Such detailed records of a potentially sensitive nature have not yet been made available by SHG. Included in this
subseries is an incomplete collection of SHG staff meeting minutes which illuminate the decision making process of, and issues
dealt with, at SHG.
Series II, Barrio Mobile Art Studio (BMAS), consists of materials that document the history of Self Help Graphic's Barrio Program.
The Correspondence subseries consists of copies of letters written by teachers and other school officials in the Los Angeles
Unified School District to state and local officials. The letters inform these officials of the Barrio Mobile Art Studio's
valuable service to the district's schoolchildren. School employees urged these officials to support SHG's request for grants
from city, county, and state agencies. Four of the seven folders in this subseries contain "thank you" notes written by schoolchildren
expressing gratitude to BMAS staff artists for visiting their schools and for introducing them to various artistic media.
The General subseries consists of a variety of documents relating to the daily operation of the Barrio Mobile Art Studio program.
This subseries provides a wealth of information on the many schools visited by the mobile studio. Of particular interest are
copies of the worksheets distributed to the schoolchildren during BMAS visits, as well as the detailed lesson plans developed
by the staff artists. These items testify to the careful planning that went into each mobile studio visit. Also included in
this subseries are evaluations of the program by teachers whose classrooms were visited by the BMAS. These short-answer evaluations
shed light on what the schoolteachers perceived to be the strengths and weaknesses of the BMAS educational program.
The Grant Proposals, Reports, and Applications subseries consists of documents relating to SHG's efforts to secure funds for
the continuation of the BMAS program. This subseries contains applications to the California Arts Council as well as to local
fund-granting agencies. Because most agencies required that SHG submit with the grant application information about the BMAS
program's operation, the goals and objectives of the program, and a projected budget, richly detailed program descriptions
as well as information about BMAS operations costs may be gleaned from the documents.
The Newspaper and Magazine Articles subseries consists of a selection of articles from English and Spanish language publications.
While the majority of these articles survey the history and accomplishments of the Barrio Mobile Art Studio, there are a few
which highlight other SHG endeavors, such as the Galeria Otra Vez, and focus on SHG personalities, such as Carlos Bueno and
Antonio Ibanez.
The Personnel subseries within the Barrio Mobile Art series contains copies of various personnel-related documents, such as
employment applications and program evaluation forms. Like the personnel subseries in the series I, there are no files in
this subseries that provide information on individual artists associated with SHG. Included however, is a folder with material
that deals exclusively with the career of Carlos Bueno, one of the founding artists of SHG.
The vast majority of the photographs in this series were taken by SHG staff members. These photographs document many of the
BMAS visits to schools and artists at work in the SHG Avenida Cesar Chavez facilities. Two of the forty-five folders in this
subseries consist of photographic prints purchased by SHG. These are primarily comprised of photographs of pre-Columbian architectural
ruins, sculpture, pottery, paintings, and other artifacts from Latin and South America. Also included are candid photographs
of contemporary indigenous peoples from the regions noted above. The items noted above served as visual tools for artists
wishing to study their cultural roots and incorporate old world techniques and subjects into contemporary Chicano art.
Also included in this series are color photocopies, flyers, and invitations. Many of the color photocopies capture the activities
of artists and children at work at the BMAS and in the SHG studio. Others are of the works produced by the SHG artists. Still
others are photographic reproductions of well known pieces of art from a variety of cultures from several periods in the history
of art. Included are color photocopies of photographs of Latin and South American indigenous peoples. SHG sponsors numerous
activities at its Avenida Cesar Chavez facility and receives a multitude of invitations from groups and institutions hosting
workshops, art shows, and other community activities. Preserved in this subseries is both a selection of flyers distributed
by SHG announcing activities at its studio, and many of the invitations that it received.
Series III, El Día de los Muertos, (Day of the Dead). Correspondence 1974-1987 consists of both incoming and outgoing correspondence. The incoming correspondence is primarily
from children to members of the SHG staff. These are "thank you" letters which were written in appreciation of the staff for
visiting classrooms during the Día de los Muertos holiday season.
General. This subseries contains a series of documents (such as applications for parade permits and insurance contracts) which
reflect the bureaucratic processes involved in staging the Día de los Muertos celebration (technically a private event) on
public property. Included in this subseries are copies of the itinerary of activities planned by SHG for the Día de los Muertos
celebration.
Grant Proposals, Reports, and Applications. This subseries contains applications for federally supported grants. The applications
seek support for the Día de los Muertos parade and celebration -- the single most costly and widely attended event sponsored
by SHG up until 1985 when it discontinued being its primary organizer. Most of the grant applications in this subseries were
to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). In order to evaluate
requests for financial support, both the NEA and NEH required that detailed reports attesting to a project's past or potential
success and cultural value be submitted with the grant application. As a result of these reports, a wealth of detailed information
on the Día de los Muertos celebration may be found in this subseries. In addition to the detailed curriculum plans which deal
with the Day of the Dead holiday that were used by the Barrio Mobile Art Studio staff, newspaper clippings, photographs, and
negatives also accompany the reports and will be valuable to researchers.
Magazine, Newspaper, Journal, and Miscellaneous Articles holds an extensive collection of materials which deal almost exclusively
with the Día de los Muertos. Most of the articles in this subseries were originally featured in Spanish as well as English
language publications, however, SHG also produced several short articles for publicity and cultural education purposes. These
articles are found in this subseries.
Photographs, Negatives, and Slides. The vast majority of the photographs and slides were taken by SHG staff members in an
effort to document the festivities of Día de los Muertos celebration. Also included is a sampling of photographs of the holiday
as celebrated in Mexico.
Color Photocopies, Flyers, Invitations, and Posters. Included in this subseries are photographs documenting activities at
the SHG facilities, posters and flyers announcing SHG's upcoming events, and photocopies of SHG-produced essays that inform
potential celebration participants of the Día de los Muertos historical background and cultural significance. The flyers distributed
by SHG are in themselves illustrative of the type of art produced by SHG during the Día de los Muertos celebration.
Notecards consists of two folders of notecards produced and sold by SHG artists during the Día de los Muertos celebration.
Series IV, Magazine, Newspaper, Journal, and Miscellaneous Articles house documents that cover a wide variety of topics. Many of the articles in this collection do not deal exclusively with
SHG, rather, they address East Los Angeles community issues which indirectly affected SHG. Others focus on Chicanos at the
state, local, and national level. It should be noted that this collection is not limited to clippings; many of the file folders
contain entire periodicals. These range from scholarly journals to other artists' newsletters and journals and from community
publications (such as social directories) to Chicano popular culture magazines. Included in this collection are a variety
of pamphlets, booklets, and brochures which call attention to a multitude of Chicano concerns and issues. Of particular interest
is a ninety-nine page booklet titled
Art in Education Approach. This work was written by SHG staff members and published by the organization in 1983. The illustrated booklet describes
in detail the Exemplary Arts Project and the activities and approaches that SHG developed to use in their elementary school
multicultural education programs. This publication booklet was written to serve as a manual for teachers wishing to use art
in the classroom.
Series V, Photographs, Negatives and Slides This series consists of four archival boxes that hold an impressive array of photographs capturing many subjects and spanning
six decades. Additionally the slide albums contain a voluminous collection of visual images. Within this series are dozens
of black and white photographs of members of the Los Angeles Chicano community. Many of these photographs are not dated, but
most of them were presumably taken between 1920 and 1950. Notable among the many photographs of SHG staff members in this
series are several large, color, glossy prints of artist Linda Vallejo instructing senior citizens how to paint self-portraits.
Unique to the Series V is a collection of several photographs of art shows that were held at SHG's Galeria Otra Vez.
Of special interest in this series are several photographic proofs documenting United Farm Workers' leader, Cesar Chavez,
and episodes of the farm workers' movement, as well as an additional set of proofs which show members of the Chicano student
organization, MECHA rallying in protest of the 1978 Bakke v. the University of California Supreme Court decision. Additionally,
there are photographs depicting the history of Self-Help Graphics, the Concilio de Arte Popular Meeting, and Art Exhibition.
The series' prominent feature is a large collection of slides. These slides provide visual images of various art works such
as assemblage, graphic arts, drawings, indigenous Chicano art, installation art, murals, paintings, performance and conceptual
art, photographs, and sculptures related to the SHG, and of center activities and programs. They are an unusually rich source
of Chicano art and culture. Additionally, there are Chicano Muralists slides housed in a mixed materials box.
Series VI, Color Photocopies, Flyers, Invitations, and Posters, contains color photocopies of SHG staff at work in the Avenida Cesar Chavez studio and photographs of artists' works. In
some cases, the photocopies are mounted on paperboard. Also included in this series are a multitude of invitations to community
events both sent from, and received by, SHG. This also includes the Self-Help Graphics Program Overview: The Early Years and
GCIC Collection color photocopies.
Series VII, Note Cards. This collection of notecards and postcards consists of cards whose cover designs were created by use of metal plate etchings
and through the silkscreen process. While none of the notecards in this series are dated, the names of the particular artist
or artists responsible for their creation are written on the flap of the glassine envelope in which they are stored. The images
depicted on the covers of these cards range from animals, to humans, to Aztec designs, to abstract drawing. Most of these
announce some event sponsored by SHG. The front of each card possesses an original design created by one of the many SHG artists.
Series VIII, Graphic Arts and Poster Collection. Series VIII represents the voluminous serigraph and poster collections in this archive. The collection presently consists
of over 650 serigraphic prints and posters. Self-Help Graphics and Art is one of the most active and prolific Chicano silkscreen
poster workshop collectives in the country. Nowhere is this more evident than in its Atelier Screen Print program, which began
in 1983 to provide emerging artists with the opportunity to practice their creative talents and to help them gain exposure.
The Atelier program has two goals: to bring some of California's best Chicano artists together in a collaborative atmosphere
where they can create fine art serigraphs, and to generate income from the sales of their artwork to help perpetuate the program.
Many of the now-prominent Chicano/Latino artists produced their early work at Self-Help Graphics; such artists include Carlos
Almaraz, Michael Amescua, Barbara Carrasco, Yreina Cervantez, Richard Duardo, Diane Gamboa, Antonio Ibanez, Leo Limon, and
Michael Ponce, to name a few. The silkscreen collection is a rich source of documentation and reflects the evolution of the
Chicano art movement. A diversity of themes, including social, political, and cultural issues are represented in these intense
and personal artistic statements.
There have been three master printers involved in the Atelier program from its inception in 1983 to the present. The first
was Stephen Grace, responsible for producing Ateliers I through VII. His tenure as a master printer with the program is represented
by sixty archival quality limited edition prints by forty-two artists. Grace's successor, Oscar Duardo, is the brother of
the renowned artist and master printer Richard Duardo. In addition to maintaining Self-Help Graphics' high standards of printing,
the former Durado is someone whose talent and commitment has sparked considerable enthusiasm and creativity at Self-Help Graphics.
Duardo's successor Jose Alpuche, continued Self-Help Graphics fine print-making tradition.
One poster by Eduardo Oropeza exceeds the length of the map case drawers, and is thus labeled as box 66 and is rolled in a
telescope tube.
Series IX, Sister Karen Boccalero's Photos and Artwork This series contain some of Sister Boccalero's personal possessions. It includes tapestries, framed artwork and other miscellaneous
items that belonged to Boccalero before her passing.
Series X, Audio and Video Files. This series contains audio and video files in a variety of formats throughout a the 80's – 2000's. They include recorded
interviews, performances, and workshops related to the Day of the Dead and other Chicano art related events in Los Angeles.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Screen printing
Clippings (information artifacts)
Photographs
Posters
Slides
Mexican American artists -- California -- Los Angeles
Serigraphy
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- California -- Los Angeles
Administrative records
Mexican American artists -- California