Self Help Graphics & Art at Fifty: An Appreciation

by Tomas J. Benitez

 

It began as a simple idea. Establish a place in the community to make art. The founders knew that if the doors were open, the artists would gather, exchange ideas, create new images and foster their development as artists. The mechanism was printmaking.

 

The concept was instead of creating one image for a few audiences, create an image in print multiples for many audiences. Although serigraphs were often dismissed in the hierarchy of contemporary art as a market entity, the true value was in creating access to Chicano expression for everyone, fostering Chicano art and artists, sharing the art with a range of audiences, and empoering the imagery of Chicano artists with impact upon the mainstream art world through proselytization.

 

The buzz word in the mission was “local” artists. In a community based space in the heart of East Los Angeles, the largest homogeneous population in the nation, this meant the majority of the artists were Chicanos, Mexicanos and other Latinos.

 

Yet, SHG&A was a model of multi-cultural inclusion from the onset, with artists from the Asian, African American and the mainstream communities, plus visitors from around the world, coming by to participate in the opportunity to learn from the cluster of Chicano/Latinx artists.  What drew the artists into SHG&A and into working together was simply the chance to make new art. The creative collaborative process was the key to the success of the printmaking studio, each Atelier.

 

In the early days, an old wino in the neighborhood would climb the stairs up to the floor where SHG lived and view the next show that was self installed by different artists. He exclaimed “Otra Vez!” because the show changed once a month. Thus, Galeria Otra Vez was born, which for many artists was the first and only venue they could show their art for years.

 

But SHG&A was never intended to be a commercial vehicle, other than splitting the prints so the artists could do their own selling.

 

As Chicano art grew in mainstream popularity and demand in the late 1980’s, SHG&A’s value diminished for direct professional development. But it was never intended as a broker, never a commercial art gallery, never a representative for artists.  Ironically, as Chicano artists struggled to claim professional and financial status, well known mainstream artists Like Ed Moses, Robert Graham and Paul McCartney came to SHG&A to create, work in appreciation of the value of printmaking. However, SHG&A was very instrumental in preparing numerous artists for application and competition into the swarm of public art projects opportunites, and indeed, we see the lasting results and success today. 

 

Further, exhibitions of prints from SHG&A were seen around the world through the seminal shows such as Chicano Expressions, and numerous other major national shows and venues. The body of work has been archived by UC/ CEMA Chicano art archives, the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, LACMA, and the National Museum of American Art in Washington DC.

 

Yet some have has raised the question over the years: Is SHG&A a truly Chicano arts center?

 

Have you heard of Day of the Dead? Have you heard of the Vex? Have you ever owned a print from SHG&A? Have you seen any of the images that were created in its glorious fifty-year history? 

 

Self Help Graphics & Art has earned its role in the pantheon of Chicano Art as one the most significant progenitors and producers of Chicano Art and Culture, from the apex of the Chicano Art Movement until today. Day of the Dead has become the most popular vehicle for community participation in Chicano art and culture in the U.S. today. The message was visual, the source was visceral, the expression was genuine, the impact was lasting. The result was more Chicano art and images created by more artists and seen by more audiences around the world than any other U.S. cultural institution in history.

 

Self Help Graphics has had a stellar legacy of success during its first fifty years. There is no doubt it will continue to be a leading cultural center of art and creativity. Just let the artists come together and let them create new art.

 

This essay is dedicated to the memory of Sister Karen Boccalero.