“People want to have a place to work, to be with others, and to be able to share their dreams.” – Sister Karen Boccalero, Self Help Graphics & Art founder

SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART BACKGROUND

Self Help Graphics & Art (Self Help) was founded in 1970 in a garage at the residence of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Penance in East Los Angeles. Sister Karen Boccalero, a 37-year-old Franciscan nun and fine artist, created the arts organization in partnership with draftsman and muralist Carlos Bueno, and photographer and self-taught muralist Antonio Ibañez, both gay artists born and raised in Mexico.

They were committed to creating a safe space that nurtured and promoted Chicano/Mexicano cultural wealth. In 1972, Self Help launched a modern celebration of Dia de los Muertos, a tradition deeply embedded in indigenous Mexican culture, with a procession, altar installations, artmaking workshops, and an exhibition.

The Barrio Mobile Art Studio, created in 1975 in a converted van, brought together more than 100 artists, who taught multi-disciplinary art classes at schools, libraries, parks, and community centers. In 1983, Self Help created The Silkscreen Print Atelier Program, which produced an annual series of limited-edition serigraphs, including special serigraph projects, monoprints, etchings, and woodblock prints. It offered artists the opportunity to work with a master printer and strengthen the connection of East Los Angeles to the mainstream art world and art markets. In its stellar history, over 2,000 quality serigraphs have been created by national and international artists, fostering the creation and advancement of new artworks by Chicano/Latino, multi- ethnic, and LGBTQ+ artists.

From the onset, Self Help artists collaborated and cross-pollinated with other arts organizations through their artworks, arts residences, artist exchanges, and exhibitions. In 1987, the Exhibition Print Program was established by Alex Alferov, which expanded its audiences to schools, libraries, colleges, galleries, and museums across the U.S. and Mexico. Subsequent exhibitions traveled to numerous countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

WHY THIS FILM AND WHY NOW?

As filmmakers, we must preserve the stories of our cultural and artistic heritage to not be forgotten or erased. Self Help is an American art history success story, evolving from a grassroots organization to a recognized international institution. Many of the Chicano/Latino artists and community members who began their careers with Sister Karen at Self Help are now in their golden years, and time is of the essence.

Many of the artists who were at the beginning of Self Help have now passed on. The urgency of our project is to capture their testimony while they are alive, offering a first-person narrative of what took place and how the art center evolved into the force it remains today.  Our goal is to hear from the artists directly and to demonstrate how the work they collectively created influenced U.S. culture and world art, as well as enriching the history of Latino Art.  All interviews will be archived for future research in various academic
and cultural institutions.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND TIMELINE

Our sponsorship campaign aims to raise $100,000 for the film’s first phase, which includes interviews with prominent artists. These funds will cover the development and production costs, as well as the completion of a 13-minute short. Once the first phase is completed, the team will approach a production company to develop the final 90-minute feature-length documentary film for completion and distribution. The film is scheduled for completion by Spring 2027.

STYLE AND STRUCTURE:

The style and structure incorporate a documentary approach, intercutting recorded interviews of artists, scholars, and community leaders, interspersed with rarely seen archival footage, digitized artwork and photography, special effects, animation, music, and narration. This innovative project presents a comprehensive narrative of a critical period in American art culture, offering a unique visual experience that has never been seen before.

PROJECT UPDATE AND UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

We are in the process of revisiting the archives at University of California, Santa Barbara CEMA, UCLA, and Cal State universities to expand the research by identifying additional and unique archival footage, ephemera, and photography to showcase in the film. Additionally, we are transferring, transcribing, digitizing, and cataloging materials, including those of private art archives, conducting interviews, developing the script, animation, and music.

To date, we have completed two Open Community calls to collect personal memorabilia from community members related to Self Help’s history.  The first Open Community call was held at the Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, and the second one at the East Los Angeles County Library. The next two community calls will be held at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Downtown Los Angeles and Plaza de la Raza in Lincoln Heights.

Over two dozen interviews have been conducted with key artists who were at the beginning of the history of Self Help, and as such, they are the primary sources for the film. The film team has completed interviews with Alejandro Romero, Jose Antonio Aguirre, Richard Montoya, Leslie Jones, Michael Amescua, AlexAlferov, Alfredo de Batuc, Tomas Benitez, Margaret Garcia, Wayne Healy, Mari Cardenas, Barbara Carrasco, Alex Donis, Roberto Delgado, Leo Limón, Miguel Angel Reyes, Arturo Urista, Ofelia & Rosanna Esparza, Yreina Cervantez, David Botello, Joey Terrill, Roberto Gil de Montes, Frank Romero, Armando Duron, Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin, Robert Gutierrez, Eloy Torrez, Sybil Vanegas, Mita Curon, Oscar Durado, and John Valadez.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The film will serve as an educational tool and will tour national and international universities, conferences, film festivals, community centers, and and other community spaces. Additionally, we will host in-person and virtual events in multiple cities and towns to raise awareness on the different themes of critical importance noted in this documentary, especially those relevant today.  The engagement format will include the film producers, documentary featured artists, and community member panels. We plan to generously recognize our sponsors at these various events and partner with them for screenings.

In addition to film festivals, we plan to take this film directly into communities that Self Help has impacted as well as other neighborhoods and venues generally marginalized from mainstream art, and to use as a platform to continue to elevate the Self Help legacy. The filmmakers will engage in dialogues and narratives to further inspire community members and to encourage them to document their valuable experiences.

For an extended history on the rich legacy and background on Self Help Graphics & Art, please visit www.selfhelpgraphics.com