FEATURED ARTISTS

Grand Park Altars curated by Self Help Graphics

Self Help Graphics

Since its incorporation in 1973, Self Help Graphics & Art has produced more than 2,000 serigraph editions, including 62 atelier projects and exhibitions all over the world. The organization remains dedicated to the production, interpretation, and distribution of prints and other art media by Chicana/o and Latinx artists; and its multidisciplinary, intergenerational programs promote artistic excellence and empower community by providing access to working space, tools, training and beyond. Now, nearly a half-century later, SHG continues to foster emerging Chicana/o and Latinx artists through its world-class printmaking practice and supports the role of artists as leaders, both within its organization and the community. For more information, visit selfhelpgraphics.com. Follow SHG on Facebook @selfhelpgraphics and Instagram and Twitter @SHG1970.

COMMUNITY ALTAR by Ofelia Esparza and Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Noche de Ofrenda has become, for me, the highlight of the observances of Dias de Los Muertos because it draws upon the significance of the altar itself; on the ofrendas- the offerings that we place on it with intention to honor, to remember, to contemplate, to reflect, and to celebrate the lives of our loved ones who have passed on. This beautiful observance was initiated at Self Help Graphics many years ago as part of the Day of the Dead celebration, and in tandem with Noche de Palabra. I was asked by Tomas Benitez to make a presentation about the Ofrendas my children and I had been building at SHG. This became a welcomed annual event that called for a more personal, a more quiet- a more spiritual participation in our annual community altar presentation in the upstairs Salon which was always apart from the large annual Day of the Dead celebrations at SHG.

Today, when so many lives have been lost by Covid-19, and so many forms of loss and upheaval have affected our lives, a Noche de Ofrenda gains even more significance to our community. We all need a time for reflection, a time for gratitude and healing, and yes, a time for social awareness as a community. As we honor our loved ones, we remember our ancestors who are always with us, that we are never alone. We are grateful for their legacy of struggle, survival, and resilience, for their stories, their love of family and culture, and their determination to provide a better life the next generations.
This Ofrenda is dedicated to all our loved ones we wish to remember- to our ancestors-and symbolically, to those who died through violence and racism, and to those who have lost their lives through wars and political oppression. Spiritually, we honor the lives and all other living beings lost through the forces of Nature.

– Ofelia Esparza October, 2020

Noche de Ofrenda se ha convertido, para mí, lo más destacado de las observancias del Día de los Muertos porque se basa en el significado del altar en sí; en las ofrendas que ponemos en él con la intención de honrar, de recordar, de contemplar, de reflexionar, y de celebrar las vidas de nuestros seres queridos que han partido. Esta hermosa observancia fue iniciada en Self Help Graphics muchos años atrás como parte de la celebración del Día de los Muertos, y a la par con Noche de Palabra. Tomás Benitez me invitó a hacer una presentación acerca de las Ofrenda que mis hijos y yo habíamos construído en SHG. Esto se convirtió en un bienvenido evento anual que hacía un llamado a una participación más personal, más silenciosa- más espiritual en nuestra presentación anual del Altar Comunitario en el salón del segundo piso, la cual siempre era parte de las celebraciones anuales del Día de los Muertos en SHG.

Hoy en día, cuando tantas vidas se han perdido por el Covid-19, y tantas formas de pérdida y agitación han afectado nuestras vidas, una Noche de Ofrenda gana aún más importancia en nuestra comunidad. Todos necesitamos un momento para reflexión, un momento para gratitud y sanación, y sí, un momento para un despertar social como comunidad. Mientras honramos a nuestro seres amados, recordamos a nuestros ancestros que siempre están con nosotros, que nunca estamos solos. Estamos agradecidas por su legado de lucha, supervivencia, y resiliencia, por sus historias, su amor por la familia y cultura, y por su determinación para proveer una mejor vida para las próximas generaciones.

Esta Ofrenda está dedicada a todos nuestros seres amados que queremos recordar – a nuestros ancestros – y simbólicamente, a aquellos que murieron por violencia y racismo, y para aquellos que han perdido sus vidas en guerras y opresión política. Espiritualmente, honramos las vidas y todos los seres vivientes perdidos por las fuerzas de la Naturaleza.

– Ofelia Esparza, 2020 octubre

ABOUT
Ofelia Esparza is an artist and educator from East Los Angeles where she was born in 1932. Esparza, a retired elementary school teacher from LAUSD, has been an artist since childhood. Esparza started making public altars at Self Help Graphics & Art in 1979, where she is best known as an “altarista” for Day of the Dead. It is at SHG where she learned and developed a body of work in printmaking. Her work reflects her spirituality and her Mexican indigenous heritage. Ofelia credits her mother’s influence in observing the mysticism and dignity of the natural world. A great portion of Esparza’s work honors womanhood. This is what inspires not only her ofrendas, but all facets of her art endeavors.
Along with her daughter, Rosanna Esparza Ahrens (b. 1961) – also an altarista and graphic designer, they consider themselves cultural facilitators, conducting workshops and lectures at schools, colleges, community venues and presently, in the women’s corrections facility, California Institute for Women (CIW). In 2017, Ofelia and Rosanna were cultural advisors to the Pixar Movie “COCO”. In 2018, because of her cultural work as an altarista. Ofelia was named a 2018 National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington DC. In 2019, the Esparza’s were featured in the PBS’ ARTBOUND Series: Season 10, Episode 3, “Dia De Los Muertos”. Also in 2019, she and her daughter were invited to create an altar for Day of the Dead at the Smithsonian National Museum of the America Indian in Washington, D.C.

Black Lives Matter – Los Angeles
This altar honors the victims listed on prosecutkillercops.org. The site is inspired by Ida B Wells’s Red Record, and is aimed to expose those who murder our people. The data on the site spans from 2013 to the present.

Este altar honra a las víctimas enlistadas en prosecutkillercops.org. El mestá inspirado por el Récord Rojo de Ida B Wells, y está destinado para exponer a aquellos que asesinan a nuestra gente. Los datos del sitio abarcan desde el 2013 al presente.

ABOUT
We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others. We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location. We see ourselves as part of the global Black family, and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black people who live in different parts of the world. We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities.

We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people. We intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting. We make space for transgender siblings to participate and lead. We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence.

Building Healthy Communities Boyle Heights: Health Happens with Prevention Group
We are honoring the community members we have lost due to the pandemic, and the folks still living that need mental health support. We will be directing people to learn more about mental health issues and services.

Estamos honrando a los miembros de la comunidad que hemos perdido a causa de la pandemia, y a las personas que aún viven y necesitan apoyo de salud mental. Estaremos dirigiendo a la gente a aprender más acerca de servicios y problemáticas de salud mental.

ABOUT
Health Happens with Prevention is a coalition of organizations and community members dedicated to advocating for preventative health services in Boyle Heights, with a focus on mental health.

Community Power Collective
We honor Workers and Tenants from our base: Street Vendors, Farmers, Mariachis, Members of the Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre

Honramos a Trabajadores e Inquilines de nuestra base: Vendedores Ambulantes, Agricultores, Mariachis, y Miembros del Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre

ABOUT
We exist to building power with low-income tenants and workers through transformative organizing to win economic justice, community control of land and housing, and to propagate systems of cooperation in Boyle Heights and greater Los Angeles region.

Consuelo G. Flores
This altar honors the students of Ayotzinapa, who were murdered in Mexico and victims of murder in Los Angeles. What connects these two groups is that their murders have never been solved. I’ll also be remembering my parents and brother Ben, who all taught me the importance of social justice and the value of life.

Estoy honrando a los estudiantes de Ayotzinapa que fueron asesinados en México, así como a víctimas de asesinato en Los Ángeles. Lo que conecta a estos dos grupos es que sus asesinatos nunca han sido resueltos. También estaré recordando a mis padres y a mi hermano Ben, quienes me enseñaron la importancia de la justicia social y el valor de la vida.

ABOUT
A multidisciplinary artist from ELA, Consuelo G. Flores creates beautiful altars, extraordinary paper fashions, intimate poetry, dynamic spoken word and impactful one-act plays. She received Self Help Graphics’ 2017 Legacy Artist Award & a 2018 Honorable Mention from the Irvine Fine Arts Center. She has an MFA in CNF from Antioch University and is included in the upcoming anthology Fieldnotes in Allyship. She has written & directed seven one-act plays which were produced in Los Angeles and Dubai and gives lectures on the celebration of Dia de los Muertos to students and public audiences. She was recently featured in an Los Angeles Times article on her experience during the Chicano Moratorium of August 29, 1970. She’s currently a Director in the Equity & Inclusion Department of SAG-AFTRA and lives with her husband in West Adams area of Los Angeles.

Corazón del Pueblo – Xochitl Palomera

Huei Micailhuitl: Ceremony of Death

Honoring All Womxn (BIWOC, Children, Trans Womxn, Femmes & LGBTQ+) whose lives have been taken as a result of femicide & gender-based violence. Honoring Tonantzin, Nuestra Madre Tierra, Mother Earth which over 4 million acres burned this year in California, and continues to burn. Violence against Womxn is violence against Mother Earth. Patriarchy perpetuates the killing of Womxn and Mother Earth, and bear the weight of femicide and exploitation. This altar is an ancestral guide, a Camino de Fuego, representing the burning mountains. A road made of fire that leads Macehualli (La Gente / The People) to the altar. The altar is filled with offerings honoring all Womxn and Children and is surrounded by Cempuaxochitl representing the fire that calls and guides us to the altar. The Cempuaxochitl is also the Camino Florido, guiding our ancestors to the altar where we will meet in ceremony to listen to the Femmecestors speak. The Tonanas, Abuelas, Grandmothers are saying: “To Kill our Mother is to Kill her Children is to Kill the Source of Life.” Patriarchy and Capitalism must be abolished. Our Mother is on fire. Her children will inherit ashes and will learn to use those ashes to make Spirulina, the source of life and begin a new cycle. That new cycle is where all Macehualli are free! Where we can be Black. Where we can be Indigenous. Where we can be Trans. Where we can be Womxn. Where we can be children. Where we can be safe. Respected. Honored. Empowered. Where we can ALL be AUTONOMOUS & FREE. We call on our ancestors to help us do this heart-work and DECOLONIZE. We invite you to join us in this ceremony of abolishing oppressive systems and co-creating our Decolonial Liberation.”

Huei Micailhuitl: Ceremonia de la Muerte
Honrando a todes les mujeres (Negras, Indígenas, Niñes, Mujeres Trans, Femmes y LGBTQ+) cuyas vidas han sido arrebatadas como resultado de Feminicidio y Violencia de Género. Honrando a Tonantzin, Nuestra Madre Tierra, quien ha sufrido la quemazón de más de 4 millones de hectáreas este año en California, y continúa ardiendo. La violencia contra las Mujeres es violencia contra la Madre Tierra. Es aparente que el Patriarcado perpetúa la matanza de Mujeres y de la Madre Tierra. Las Mujeres y Tonantzin cargan el peso del Feminicidio y la explotación. Este Altar es una guía ancestral, un Camino de Fuego (Representado a las Montañas en llamas). Un camino hecho de fuego que nos guía a nosotros, Macehualli (La Gente), al altar.
El altar está lleno de ofrendas para honrar a todes les mujeres y niñes y está rodeado de Cempuaxochitl, representando el fuego que está llamándonos y guiándonos hacia el altar. Los Cempuaxochitl son también el Camino Florido que guía a nuestros ancestros al altar, en dónde nos reuniremos en ceremonia para escuchar a las Ancestros Femeninas hablar. Las Tonanas, Abuelas, están diciendo: “Matar a nuestra Madre es matar a sus Niñes, es matar la fuente de la Vida”. El Patriarcado y Capitalismo debe ser abolido. Nuestra Madre está en llamas. Sus hijes heredarán cenizas y aprenderán a usar esas cenizas para hacer Espirulina, la Fuente de la Vida, e iniciar un nuevo ciclo. Ese Nuevo Ciclo es ¡Dónde todos los Macehualli son Libres! Donde podemos ser Negros. Donde podemos ser Indígenas. Donde podemos ser Trans. Donde podemos ser Mujeres. Donde podemos ser Niños. donde podemos estar seguros. Respetados. Honrados. Empoderados. Donde TODOS podemos ser AUTÓNOMOS Y LIBRES. Llamamos a nuestros ancestros cuando necesitamos ayuda para hacer este trabajo del corazón y DECOLONIZAR. Les invitamos a unirse a esta ceremonia de abolición de sistemas opresivos y a co-crear nuestra liberación Decolonial.

ABOUT
Xochitl Palomera is an Educator who focuses on Intergenerational- Healing, Trauma-Informed Care & Decolonizing. She grew up in South Central L.A. Her passion for Social Justice, Cultural Arts, Ancestral knowledge and Wellness inspires her to create cultural connections with community members through reclaiming Ancestral ways, creating spaces to build community & connecting people to valuable resources for community empowerment.

Diana Alvarado // Monica Lopez // Tecpaxochitl // Margaux Hernandez // Alejandra Liera // Joel Rosales //Maritza Torres // Rebecca Nuñez // Belen Velasquez // Claudia Itzel // MarquezIreri Bernal // Jimmy Saldivar // Sarahi Perez // WOC Sister Collective // Chichihualli LA 

East Los Angeles Women’s Center Youth
We are honoring those who we have lost to domestic and sexual violence in our community and beyond. We hope to remind folks that there is help and support available for those who are experiencing or have experienced these forms of violence and that they are never alone. We want survivors to know that their silence is heard.

Estamos honrando a aquellos que hemos perdido por violencia doméstica y sexual en nuestra comunidad y más allá. Esperamos poder recordarle a la gente que hay ayuda y apoyo disponible para quienes están experimentando o han experimentado esos tipos de violencia y que nunca están solas. Queremos que los sobrevivientes sepan que su silencio es escuchado.

ABOUT
The mission of the East Los Angeles Women’s Center is to ensure that all women, girls and their families live in a place of safety, health, and personal well-being, free from violence and abuse, with equal access to necessary health services and social support, with an emphasis on Latino communities.

Eastside LEADS
This altar is dedicated to Eastside communities who despite the adverse history of segregation, inequitable planning, and disinvestment from the public and private sectors that have plagued their communities; they have grown strong roots of resilience and community activism which continues to this day. This Altar is in honor of all who have transitioned due to COVID-19 and our ancestors whose healing practices continue to bring comfort to us today.

Este altar está dedicado a las comunidades del Este, quienes a pesar de la historia de segregación, planeación injusta, y desinversión por los sectores públicos y privados que han plagado a sus comunidades; han crecido raíces fuertes de resiliencia y activismo comunitario que continúa hasta hoy. El Altar es en honor a todos los que han transicionado a causa de COVID-19 y para nuestros ancestros, cuyas prácticas de sanación continúan brindándonos confort hoy en día.

ABOUT
Eastside LEADS is a coalition of tenants, youth,and community based organizations who are fighting displacement in the Eastside of Los Angeles through policy and organizing. We are fighting for development and investment that benefits existing residents, not development that displaces us. Our roots are deep and proud and we will preserve our communities through our collective work.

Jackie Amezquita & Julio César Toruño

On November 1st of every year, the people of both Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango, Guatemala, put together giant kites to fly or show during the Day of the Dead. This cultural tradition in Guatemala is not only an art exhibition through the creation of kites, but it is also an ancient way of connecting with our ancestors. It’s believed that the kites fly to communicate with the spirits of their loved ones.

The six kites installed honor the children who lost their lives in ICE detention centers.

Jakelin Cal Maquin 7 years old from Guatemala.
Felipe Gomez Alonzo 8 Years old from Guatemala.
Carlos Gregorio Hernandez 16 years old from Guatemala.
Wilmer Josue Ramirez 2 1/2 yerl old from Guatemala.
Juan de Leon Gutierrez 16 years old from Guatemala.
Darlen Cristobel Cordova Valle from El Salvador.

El 1ro de Noviembre cada año la gente de Santiago Sacatepéquez y Sumpango, Guatemala, construyen cometas gigantes para volar o mostrar el Día de Muertos. Esta tradición cultural de Guatemala no solo es una exhibición de arte a través de la creación de cometas, sino también una manera ancestral de mantener la conexión con nuestros ancestros. Es creído que los papalotes volarán para comunicarse con los espíritus de nuestros seres amados.

Los seis cometas que construímos honran a los niños que perdieron sus vidas en centros de detención de ICE.

Jakelin Cal Maquin 7 años de Guatemala.
Felipe Gomez Alonzo 8 años de Guatemala.
Carlos Gregorio Hernandez 16 años de Guatemala.
Wilmer Josue Ramirez 2 1/2 años de Guatemala.
Juan de Leon Gutierrez 16 años de Guatemala.
Darlen Cristobel Cordova Valle de El Salvador.

ABOUT
Jackie Amézquita (b. 1985) is a bi-national artist/activist. Amézquita was born in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and migrated to the United States in 2003. Amézquita’s work explores the psycho-socio-geographical and political interactivity. As a result of her experiences as an immigrant woman, her practice has been influenced by her relationship to borders and the interaction with different cultures around the world. The artist has incorporated the use domestics and construction making techniques to explore a visual language that rebalances the power of socio-political relationships. This practice has allowed her to intertwine historical and contemporary references.

Julio cesar Toruño, (b.1993) in Matagalpa Nicaragua, is a biracial and binational artist working and living in Los Angeles. Toruño’s multidisciplinary practice works to unpack colonialization on the self, and social fabric of society. His work utilizes materials of labor, and historically recognized forms of cultural production, to hold a conversation about navigation and healing of the colonized psyche.

Mi Estori: Artist Collective

It is reported that nearly 1 in 5 hate crimes stem from homophobic and transphobic sentiments. The hatred felt for the LGBTQ+ community can be deadly and often leads to the highest murder rates in the country. However, hate crimes are not the only thing that LGBTQ+ people are dying from. LGBTQ+ people of color are twice as likely to avoid going to the doctor, 20-40% folks experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ+, 27% of LGBTQ+ people experience food insecurity, and it is reported that transgender individuals have twice the unemployment rate.
The intersections of undocumented LGBTQ+ people further complicates these statistics as they may not have the same access to resources and experience a higher rate of sexual assault and murder. The intersections of gender also contribute to discrimination as 21.2% of LGBTQ+ individuals also experience higher negative treatment when accessing reproductive health services. The statistics presented show that the communities’ suffering is rooted in hatred for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, we lost many people to the deadly COVID-19 and we have many LGBTQ+ people who were not counted because their sexual orientation and gender identity was not accepted and respected. We ask that heterosexual and cisgender allies use their privilege to help LGBTQ+ people in all issues that impact us and stand with us when trying to better our community.

Es reportado que casi 1 de cada 5 crímenes de odio son a raíz de sentimientos homofóbicos y transfobicos. El odio que es sentido por la comunidad LGBTQ+ puede ser mortal y muchas veces conduce a los más altos índices de homicidio en el país. Sin embargo, los crímenes de odio no son la única cosa de la que están muriendo las personas LGBTQ+ porque es sabido que las Personas de Color de la comunidad son propensas a evitar ir al doctor, del 20-40% de la gente sin techo son LGBTQ+, 27% de las personas LGBTQ+ experimentan inseguridad alimenticio, y es reportado que los individuos transgénero tienen el doble de la tasa de desempleo.
Las intersecciones de la gente LGBTQ+ que son indocumentados complica aún más estas estadísticas, ya que ellos no tienen el mismo acceso a recursos. Las personas LGBTQ+ indocumentadas experimentan índices más altos de abuso sexual y homicidio. Las intersecciones de género también contribuyen a la discriminación, ya que el 21.2% de individuos LGBTQ+ experimentan más tratamiento negativo al accesar servicios reproductivos. Las estadísticas presentadas muestran que el sufrimiento de la comunidad está enraizado en odio hacia la misma. En el 2020 perdimos a mucha gente por el COVID-19 y hay mucha gente LGBTQ+ que no fue contada porque su orientación sexual e identidad de género no fueron respetadas y aceptadas. Pedimos que los aliados heterosexuales y cisgénero usen su privilegio para ayudar a la gente LGBTQ+ en todos los problemas que nos impactan y alzarse con nosotros mientras mejoramos a nuestra comunidad.

ABOUT
Mi Estori was founded in 2017 by Erick Villegas-Nuñez and Charlie Ruiz Vazquez. Mi Estori was created in order to take space in predominantly white, cisgender, heterosexual, and able-bodied creative spaces and create spaces for creatives that are queer, trans, people of color, and people with disabilities.

South Central Farm
Honoring plant resilience, food justice and the role of land use in our food systems.

Honrando la resiliencia de las plantas, justicia alimentaria y el rol de la tierra en nuestros sistemas de alimentos.

ABOUT
The South Central Farm aims to promote the establishment and preservation of green and open space in South Central Los Angeles, a community where green and open space is rare, as well as promote urban farming, public health, and effective participation in the planning of developments that intimately affect every one of the residents that reside nearby.

Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos Public Art Installations

Location: Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center

Soul Survivors
curated by Kahlid Jefferson
Featuring Naliah Howze, Damien Carter, Andrew Quesada

2020 has been a year of collective trauma for everyone. However, racial disparities related to the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the continuous injustices against Black citizens have made it especially difficult for Black people. How does the Black community collectively heal in the face of systemic racism, and a virus that disproportionately affects people of color? 

In this exhibition, Soul Survivors, Los Angeles native photographers Nailah Howze, Damien Carter, and Andrew Quesada explore the meaning of healing in the black community. Historically Black America has developed unique ways of overcoming hardships. The braiding of hair, the natural synchronicity of song and dance, the unity in protest, the creativity of cooking Soul Food, the powerful connection created through worship. Images that serve as literal and metaphoric testaments of resistance. The three photographers layout a cohesive visual essay that highlights the process of perseverance. 

Organized by Khalid Jefferson, Soul Survivors brings together images that evoke empathy and collective healing. The printed photos will be treated with quotes and resources for seeking mental health advice.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Nailah Howze
Photographer Nailah Howze has a knack for making everyday people look like royalty. There’s a personal touch to her images that reflects the beauty and raw honesty of the Black experience in America. Through her lens, Nailah transforms flaws into strength and insecurities into confidence. She’s shown a particular affinity for shooting Black women, highlighting relatable characteristics that translate to extraordinary attributes when captured in a still image. Nailah’s photos serve as positive affirmations for a community always under-represented and often misunderstood. The power of her freelance portrait work is equally present in her commercial fashion photography as well. Nailah’s clients include Adidas, Puma, L’Oreal, Sony, Apple, Maxim, R&B star Kehlani, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, and the late great Nipsey Hussle. She was awarded Teen Vogue’s “Photographer of the Week,” and was the 2017 winner of the Nook and Kranny “Photographer of the Year” award. Nailah continues to distinguish herself as one of the most promising photographers in Los Angeles.

Damien “SlauCienega” Carter
West Los Angeles street photographer Damien Carter has spent his years capturing candid images of local Black culture. A native Angeleno, Damien is affectionately known to many in the L.A. arts community as “SlauCienega” (a hybrid moniker adopted from the Slauson & La Cienega intersection, where he resides). Damien’s friends often joke about him rarely traveling north of Wilshire, but jokes aside SlauCienega is a guardian of the community. He approaches his work with a sense of protectionism. Although Los Angeles is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, Damien considers his L.A. (west of the 110) to be “very tiny, and continuously shrinking in the face of gentrification.” He documents the city’s Black culture as a preservationist with unwavering authenticity. Whether shooting album covers for the city’s most relevant artists, framing lowriders set against a palm tree skyline, or capturing the raw emotion of protestors at community gatherings, Slauceienega’s images speak volumes. Black voices are loud and clear in his work.

Andrew Quesada
Andrew Quesada fell in love with the art of photography as a curious kid growing up in Los Angeles. His father nurtured Andrew’s natural inclination towards film and photography. At age 6 Andrew was given his first professional camera, a 35mm Minolta SR2 film camera. At age 22 Andrew tattooed the Minolta SR2 on his left arm. Not only a symbol of commitment to his craft, the Minolta SR2 is the inspirational source behind Andrew’s cinematic aesthetic. As his generation began to establish itself in the Los Angeles arts community Andrew began to find his own voice as an artist. During “The Blog Era,” he captured some of L.A.’s most iconic music artists including Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Miguel, DOM KENNEDY, and Jansport J. Whether shooting models or musicians, Andrew’s work remains true to capturing authentic artists with unique identities. The city of Los Angeles is his ever-changing backdrop. 

Healing Sanctuaries
by Dancing Diaspora Collective
Photographed by Bobby Gordon

Dancing Diaspora Collective (DDC) is dedicated to honoring the embodied practices of
Black and Brown people from around the world through dance and healing practices. We will be drawing upon our own practices rooted in body-base and ancestral healing aiding us to gather,release, and shift from a body + mind lense. Healing Sanctuaries are powerful images of us and our personal sanctuaries: altars, movement, meditation, hierbas, and more that intertwine with the profound powers of nature. It is an invitation to our communities to investigate, play, and experiment with their own healing practices. What is your Sanctuary/ Qué es tu Santuario?

Photographed artists:
Isis Avalos
Jose Richard Aviles
Patricia “Patty” Huerta
Veline Mojarro
Erica Rey
Tatiana Zamir

Special Papel Picado
by Maricela Sosa

Papel picado is the traditional art of cutting elaborate designs into pieces of delicate tissue paper. The tradition of papel picado originated in the 19th century in San Salvador Huixcolotla, Puebla when paper from China was imported to Mexico. By the 20th century, the craft had spread throughout Mexico. Artisans craft papel picado by stacking 50 to 100 sheets underneath a template and then use special chisels and hammers to carve the designs. Papel picado is used for a variety of celebrations, not just Dia de los Muertos. It all depends on the imagery used. Calaveras, skeletons, candles, marigolds, names of loved ones, and cultural and religious icons are typically present in papel picado made for Dia de los Muertos. On traditional altars or ofrendas, the four elements – earth, water, fire, wind – are represented and papel picado represents the element of air.

Maricela Sosa is a self-taught artist working in Northeast Los Angeles. She works mainly with children teaching drawing, painting and mixed media art classes. Maricela is also a paper cutter working in the Mexican style known as papel picado. She learned this traditional folk art by watching and working with her mother, master papel picado artist Margaret Sosa. Papel Picado is the Mexican style of paper cutting in which tissue paper is cut into intricate designs that are then glued on a string and used to decorate festive events and to adorn altars.

Digital Programs

Bike Ofrenda Workshop
by Sandra de la Loza

Watch Los Angeles based artist Sandra de la Loza convert her bike into a mobile ofrenda in the spirit of Día de los Muertos. This is a fun, easy, and family-friendly workshop that invites you to be creative with materials that you have at home. Make paper calacas, decorate your wheels with handmade spokes, and altars on handlebars or a cargo rack. Then go on a bike ride through the city and honor your ancestors.

ABOUT
Sandra de la Loza is a Los Angeles artist and educator whose research-based practice investigates the underlayers of our present landscape as a means to decolonize, heal ancestral trauma, and to create circles that enable other social and environmental relations to happen. Her work has been exhibited in major museums, alternative art spaces, and community centers within the United States, Latin America, and Europe.

Self Help Graphics 47th Annual Día de los Muertos Virtual Celebration, Featuring Noche de Ofrenda segment with Grand Park

Featured artists:

endy bernal
endy trece is an intermedia community artist. Her performance and visual work is rooted in her indigenous cultural traditions, and branches out through her intercultural ceremonials, exchanges, study and travel. Butoh is a strong influence in her work, as she has studied with Semimaru of Sankai Juku, as well as Yoshito Ohno among other butoh masters in Japan.

Her art practice includes creating an installation about an ecological or social issue in public space and performing a dance sequence in it for 4-6 hours. The intention of her practice is to provide inspiration to look within, contemplate and discuss important issues.

She has performed throughout California, Texas and New York as well as in Mexico, France and Japan. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Science, and is a National Association of Latino Arts & Culture Advanced Leadership  Institute Alumni.

As an arts and culture leader, she is one of the co-founders of TONALLI STUDIO in East Los Angeles and has been a part of the Board of Directors at Pacto Latino and the Centro Cultural de la Raza in San Diego. She is currently the president of the Board of Directors at Self Help Graphics and Art in Tongva Territory (aka Los Angeles). 

Gloria Enedina Alvarez: Chicana poet/intermedia artist, playwright, librettist, literary translator and curator, presently teaches creative writing and works as a consultant in public schools, universities, libraries, museums, and art centers. Her literary/artistic efforts have been recognized by the CAC, National Endowment for the Arts, Cultural Affairs Department, City of L.A., COLA Award, Poets & Writers, Inc., National Latino Arts Network, MAESTRO Award, among others. She has published and read widely in the U.S., Latin America and Europe. Her plays and librettos for opera, Los Biombos, Cuento de un Soldado/Story of a Soldier, El Niño, have been produced locally and internationally. Her books of poetry in English and Spanish include La Excusa/The Excuse and Emerging en un Mar De Olanes and spoken word/music c.d.s , Centerground and Between Epiphanies. Her poetry has been published in various anthologies and numerous periodicals internationally.

Starting at a young age, and for the past 35 years, he has performed in various and diverse bands, ranging from North American Western influenced to Blues, Rock and Roll, Punk Rock, Jazz, and everything in between. His multi-genre musical fluidity has allowed for expansion and experimentation with diverse sounds and tones, leading him to exploratory projects, that merged the different cultural music genres of World music. Living in the 90’s During the late 90’s, along with Angel Garcia, Hernandez co-founded the much-heralded and pioneering music project Mezklah. Mezklah embodied and marked the evolution of the new burgeoning sound of L.A., with their unique hybrid electronica tunes, set to local cultural sounds and rich tribal overtones, resulting in a distinctive and completely new sound. They have been described as a very intelligent mixture of traditional Latin music, alternative rock, jungle, reggae, dub, and drum-andbass. With an innovative presence that included, among other things, performance art, Mezklah had a sound and stage presence that was truly unparalleled and artistic, gaining the reputation as “one of L.A.’s most powerful and promising alt-Latino bands.” (Los Angeles Times). Mezklah took their sound internationally, touring in Latin America, Europe and Japan. Most notably, Mezklah played to a crowd of 20,000 at Mexico City’s La Feria del Libro festival. They also went on to open for notable acts such as Ozomatli, Kinky, Maldita Vencidad , Antibalas and has worked with Ry Cooder during time of his conceptual album Chavez Ravine.

Greg “Goyo” Hernandez has worked with Johnny Avila of Oingo Boingo producing music for San Diego band Marujah for Latin Grammy Nomination and most recently of Dec of 2019 working a new indie Documentary politicized around the military complex waste of native lands of Tuscon Arizona. During this time Greg Hernandez Teamed up tv commercial with Danny Haro actor of the movie American Me and now producer and director. Music and the Theatre From 2010 to present, Hernandez has continued his musical trajectory as a hired musician and performer, who has also expanded his creative outlets to include writing and recording with various notable bands in Los Angeles, San Diego and New Mexico. As an enthusiast for Soundscape theatre and story-telling, Hernandez finally found the opportunity to merge all his collective musical experience with his passions, resulting in the film scoring and writing of original music composition for the Latinx (using Latinx is optional, some people like it others don’t, but Latino could also then be Latina/o) comedy film, Lola’s Love Shack. Produced by Migrant Film Works and distributed by Indican Pictures in 2013, Lola’s Love Shack won the Audience Award at the Reel Rasquache Film Festival and was screened at various film festivals internationally. That same year, Hernandez went on to compose another original film score for the comedy web series Monkeyfunkles. Music as a Mode of Empowerment Maleco Collective For Hernandez, music is not only a way to emotionally connect with his audience, he also understands it to be a universal language, whose frequency and sound can help stir thoughts, ideas and awaken positive vibrations as a way to convey imagination. Music as an evocation of the human spirit, a mode of empowerment, but also as a vehicle to support visual and spoken expressions, be it within a cinematographic sphere, spoken word, live theatre, or any other space and art production in which sound and music are elemental components of a collaborative venture. Since Current Pandemic Greg Hernandez has been working remotely from the home studio recording, writing,arranging original musical concepts along writing a travel blog called “Goyo on the Go” to inspire, escape and educate of recent past backpacking travels throughout South East Asia past three years between being active on the Los Angeles Music Scene. As of Oct 2020 Greg “Goyo” Hernandez has again recorded with San Diego’s hardest working border band Marujah which in 2018 is credited with guitar work on the album “UpRising” produced by Johnny Avila of Oingo Boingo that won best album by San Diego Music Award’s and won a nomination in Latin Grammys 2018. During the Pandemic Marujah has won the accolade of being 2020 SDMA winner again with great projections for the upcoming 2021 Latin Grammy’s and as always humble to lend helping hand.

Danza Divina de Los Ángeles is the work of Indigital Productions, an L.A. based multimedia production company. Our mission is to elevate Danza Azteca onto the world stage, while preserving tradition and elevating the design of Aztec dance. Danza Divina de Los Angeles is an intergenerational dance troupe under the direction of Jeniffer Sanchez. DDLA blends mesoamerican myth with contemporary urban stories using traditional dance, instruments and modern technologies.

Jeniffer Sanchez is a Los Angeles-based artist, danzante, choreographer, director, producer and founder of Indigital Productions. At age 9, she began studying and performing traditional Danza Azteca with renowned Aztec Dance Pioneer, General Lazaro Arvizu. Her artwork operates at the intersection of performance art, theatre, multimedia and Mesoamerican traditions. Her newest work, “Exploring the Gods,” is an all-woman, multimedia, Aztec Dance performance that introduces seven different Aztec deities.  Exploring the Gods is the introduction to a work in progress called “La Ofrenda”, which is an adaptation of the Aztec creation story of the 5th Sun.

Performance description:

Opening– Blessing of the space- this is done with copal we turn to the four directions, the sky and earth. This is done to acknowledge and give thanks to all of the elements and to clear the space of any unwanted energy. This ensures a good dance and is done before all our dances. 

Guajito– (small gourd)this dance is dedicated to water.  It will be done by Doreen Sanchez, she will be in a traje (regalia) representing the water goddess  Chalchiuhtlicue. 

Guerrilleros– warrior dance, will be done by Valerie Estrada (8yrs old) and Emily Estrada (12yrs old). These young ladies are cousins. This will be followed by a short procession around one of the dancers that died in battle. 

Muerte– this dance is dedicated to Mictlantecihuatl, the goddess of the underworld and is performed by  Jeniffer Sanchez. This dance depicts Mictlantecihuatl convincing the recent dead to follow her to Mictlan. 

Itzpapalotl– is a dance dedicated to the obsidian butterfly, who aids the woman who dies giving birth. This dance will be done by Brit Rios, Emily Estrada, Sara Graeff and Isabella Estrada (5 yrs old).