S.O.Y. Artista, one of Self Help Graphics’s Youth Programs, is a free five-week summer art program for youth, 11-24 years old (Group A: ages 11-14, Group B: ages 15-24), from the communities of East LA, Boyle Heights, and the greater LA area. Due to SHG’s ongoing building renovation, the classes took place at Legacy LA this summer.

Thank you to all the teaching artists, assistants, interns, Legacy LA, Art Services Manager Cynthia Navarro, and our Youth Programs Manager Nini Sanchez, for such an awesome program this year! Below are some of the highlights of each class, as well as the culminating exhibition.

Brenda Perez, our ICA LA’s Agency of Assets intern, wrote a reflection about her S.O.Y. Artista experience. Read here.

Week 1 (June 24-27)

S.O.Y. Artista started strong with a Screen Printing class, taught by Teaching Artist Jackie Hernandez and Assistant James Mendez with Group A.

Group B participated in an Experimenting with Natural Dyes class, taught by Teaching Artist Cayetano Talavera and Assistant Izzy Jaquez.

Week 2 (July 1-2)

Teaching Artists Martha Carrillo and Viktor Rosas taught our Group A some skills related to Printing on Fabrics and Wearable Art.

Week 3 (July 8-11)

Teaching Artists Natalie Godinez and Assistant Sabrina Koenig taught a Sewing Stuffy Creatures class to our Group A, allowing the students to materialize fantastic creatures from their imagination.

For Group B, Artists Pavel Acevedo and Viktor Rosas explored Relief Printing, which culminated in a communal print honoring P-22, the iconic mountain lion who lived in Griffith Park. This was a collaborative process from beginning to end, where the youth chose what stories they wanted to amplify based on their personal and collective experiences.

Week 4 (July 15-18)

Teaching Artist Connie Mendoza and Assistant Izzy Jaquez taught Group A some Ceramics skills. As inspiration, the students looked at Mesoamerican figurines. Using hand-building techniques and clay, students shaped all kinds of organic and funky creatures.

Group B learned essential Screen Printing skills with teaching artists Dewey Tafoya, SHG’s Lead Printer, and Assistant Gabby Claro. Using their own illustrations and photosensitive emulsion, students created a design on a mesh screen. They then learned how to print using ink and a squeegee, printing their designs on paper and fabric!

Week 5 (July 22-25)

For the last week of S.O.Y. Artista, Teaching Artists Yaneli Delgado and Assistant Brenda Llamas taught Group A Relief Soft Block Printing, where students learned how to carve their designs on linoleum, eventually printing these on paper with colorful gradients of ink. Group B learned Illustration and Bookmaking with Teaching Artist Joe Galarza and Assistant Gabby Claro, who facilitated a creative space where students came up with the coolest pop-ups and illustrations for their handmade books.

CULMINATING EXHIBITION

On Friday, July 25, 2025, we celebrated the culmination of the summer program. Students exhibited the work they produced to their friends and families, showcasing all the new skills they developed this summer!

Learn more about Self Help Graphics & Art’s Youth Programs here: https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/youth-programs

S.O.Y. Artista 2025