Our Día de los Muertos Season Continues!

Thank you for supporting our 48th Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration last weekend! After many months apart due to the pandemic, it was wonderful to come back together again in community for this special time of year at Self Help Graphics & Art. It truly is our favorite time of year when the marigold or cempasúchil lights up the ofrendas and the smell of copál permeates the air, giving us “all the feels” during this time of reflection and remembrance.

Did you attend the Celebration? In order to continue to provide the best possible experience, please complete a short 10-question survey to help us plan and strengthen future programming. When you submit the survey, you are automatically entered to win a 2021 Día de los Muertos Season T-Shirt or Exhibition Catalogue! (Note that we protect your privacy and will not share your information with third parties). Use the button below or fill out the survey here.

The fun isn’t over, read more about our Celebration highlights and ongoing Día de los Muertos workshops and programs below!

We hope you had as much fun and as we did with all of you, as we began our event with danza and a relatively new tradition, the Car Caravan, as well as our annual Walking Procession.

Special thanks to our Emcee, Martha Gonzalez, for bringing her wit and positive stage presence to the program, and to The Paramount for curating the incredible live bands. We had a wonderful time hosting all of the burgeoning Latinx talent– Lucys, Mumfees, Introverted Funk and Archer Oh! We cannot forget the wonderful sights and sounds of the Mendez High School Folklórico dancers and the theatrical performances by Teatro y Danza Tierra Blanca, presented by Blanca Soto and Claudia Diaz!

Bike Ofrenda Workshop and Ride November 6

Our Día de los Muertos season isn’t over! Now it’s time to make way for our Bike Ofrenda Workshop and Ride on Saturday, November 6 to honor the ancestors of this land– it's people, flora, fauna, cosmos. This eight-mile moderate ride will begin and end at Self Help Graphics. Registration is open on Eventbrite, but hurry, space is limited!

This project is part of No Going Back LA, an initiative of the Committee for Greater Los Angeles, and funded by the Getty Foundation. #Art4Change

Eastside Community Altars Viewable Through November 7

We recently invited residents and organizational partners on the Eastside to participate in the communal healing and celebration of Día de los Muertos by building altars in their yard or other publicly visible locations. We’re happy to share that our neighborhood altars are up, illustrated on this map, where you can see the beautiful ofrendas made by people like you! 

The altars will stay visible for public through Sunday, November 7 and a digital zine will be available as well in the near future, documenting these creations. This project is part of No Going Back LA, an initiative of the Committee for Greater Los Angeles, and funded by the Getty Foundation. #Art4Change

Exhibition and Altars Open to the Public Through November 24

Everything Connected: Land, Body, Cosmos, is open to the public through Wednesday, November 24, 2021, as well as several on-site altars that debuted as part of our Día de los Muertos Celebration. Curated by Commemorative Print Artist, Miyo Stevens-Gandara, the public is encouraged to make an appointment to see the exhibition on Eventbrite before our season concludes.

The in-person exhibition pairs nine visual artists with nine performative artists (music, theatre, poetry) to develop a body of work around the idea that everything is connected– nothing in the world exists on its own: our existence, community, environment, health, and well-being, cultural practices, and the planet.

Participants can view the artwork in person and experience the audio piece through QR codes. Tip: this exhibit is best experienced with headphones/earbuds to listen to the audio recordings that compliment the work of visual artists. Learn more at https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/exhibitions.

Special Thanks to our 2021 Season Sponsors

On behalf of Self Help Graphics & Art and its Board and Staff, we would like to thank our 48th Annual Día de los Muertos sponsors for their generous support of our season: The City Of Los Angeles Department Of Cultural Affairs, The Los Angeles County Department Of Arts & Culture, Grand Park, The Paramount, The California Latino Legislative Caucus, Angel City Football Club, The Paramount, Southern California Edison And Occidental College, California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo (24th District), Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (53rd District), Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis (1st District) and Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin De León (14th District).

Help us to keep the legacy of Self Help Graphics & Art and the spirit of Día de los Muertos thriving! Giving is easy, especially on your mobile device– text ‘DOD2021’ to 41444, visit our donor web page here or click on the button below to give a one-time or recurring donation. No amount is too small or large. ¡Mil Gracias! Many thanks!

Would you love to become a season supporter? To learn about future event sponsorship opportunities, please email our development team at info@selfhelpgraphics.com.