This year, we’re bringing you an unconventional print for an unconventional time. Traditionally, Self Help Graphics releases its annual Día de los Muertos Commemorative Print at the start of the season in October. This year, however, we’re sharing it early. Featured in America Today: Voices in Contemporary Print at The Print Center—which opened on Thursday, April 24, 2026 in Philadelphia—and deeply resonant with our present moment, we are releasing Monarchs and Migration: Children at the BoArder of Freedom by Consuelo G. Flores now!

NOTE: This year’s Día de los Muertos Commemorative Print ships in September. Order before October 1, 2026, and receive a free Día de los Muertos shirt or tote bag with your purchase.

This serigraph is dedicated to children who came to the U.S. seeking freedom but ultimately died while in detention in U.S. Border Patrol custody. Regarding the print, Flores says, “This is a call back and reminder to our immigrant past, of the many transplants from other countries, of my own siblings who entered this country as children.”

The children depicted, left to right, are Juan de Leon Gutierrez, Wilmer Josue Ramirez Vasquez, Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez, Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez, Marlee Juarez, Felipe Gómez Alonzo, and Jakelin Caal. Each came to the U.S. from Central America seeking asylum, and from 2018 to 2023 died under Border Patrol custody from both preventable and completely treatable illnesses like the flu, respiratory, sinus, and bacterial infections, and pneumonia.

“All of these children that are in the background…you can see them, they’re like little angels,” Flores says. “It was important to honor these children because they were babies…I could not just not honor these kids.”

Day of the Dead Community Altar by Consuelo G. Flores at Gloria Molina Grand Park in 2025. Photos Courtesy of Stephen Blackburn.

Rooted in her decades-long relationship with Self Help Graphics, Flores created the print in collaboration with Dewey Tafoya, SHG’s Lead Printer, and Gabby Claro, Studio Assistant. The imagery draws from a community altar she created at Gloria Molina Grand Park in 2025, where hundreds gathered to reflect, leave messages, and bear witness. Monarch butterflies symbolize migration and transformation; sunflowers ground the work in deeper histories of land and belonging.

Flores reflects on the symbolism within the piece: “The sunflowers represent the Native American soil on which the Statue of Liberty stands and are a reminder that unless you or your ancestors are Indigenous to this land, or were brought here as enslaved people, everyone here is an immigrant.

The stories of immigrants reflect tragedy, resilience, fortitude, love, and ultimately hope. The monarch butterflies represent migration—and that hope immigrants of all backgrounds strive for: a metamorphosis from struggle to success in the land of opportunity. Migration is part of nature, part of the human spirit. It is to explore, to survive, to seek shelter, and to create a better life.”

For Flores, even the title carries meaning. The word “boarder” is marked with an “X,” underscoring that these children were not temporary occupants, ‘boarding’ within the system—they died within it.

Learn more about Consuelo’s print by watching the video here or reading the blog on our website, linked below.

HOW TO PURCHASE:

The print is available now, with delivery in September in time for the 2026 Día de los Muertos season. Flexible payment options - including layaway - are available! Early collectors will also receive a limited-edition bonus. Hang this beautiful and moving print in your home, office, or community today!

Interested in layaway options? Reach out to archive@selfhelpgraphics.com for more information.