REMEMBERING JOSÉ LOZANO
(1959-2025)

We’re disheartened to hear the news of José’s passing late November 2025. Many of us at SHG are lucky to have shared memories with this great human and artist. 

José’s first print with SHG was in 1991, where he worked with Master Printer Oscar Duardo. He actually shared a really great story related to meeting Sister Karen and the process of that first print with Rafael Cardenas, on his podcast Dancng Sobr, which you can watch here. He printed many amazing serigraphs at SHG’s Professional Printmaking Studio, getting to work with Master Printers Oscar Duardo, Jose Alpuche, and Dewey Tafoya. He even designed a wearable paper fashion design for our 2023 Paper Fashion Gala! 

Que en paz descanse José Lozano 🤍🤍🤍.  Our community is going to miss this incredible, funny, creative, warm, and curious soul. ¡José Lozano presente! 𓏲 ๋ ࣪ ˖🕊

Self Help Graphics artist Melissa Govea (Purépecha) has been commissioned by The Huntington to create a new mural for the West Coast debut of Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this major exhibition showcases landmark works from one of the most important collections of Chicano prints in the United States. Featuring 60 bold works by more than 40 artists and collectives, it traces six decades of Chicano printmaking as a vehicle for resistance, community building, and cultural reclamation.

Starting with the late 1960s Delano Grape Strike and the formation of the United Farm Workers (UFW), Radical Histories captures pivotal moments in community activism and the forging of collective identity. Chicano artists used silkscreens, posters, and offset prints to mobilize communities—often with biting humor, vibrant color, and unmistakable urgency.

The exhibition is arranged in five thematic sections: “Together We Fight,” “¡Guerra No!” (No War!), “Violent Divisions,” “Rethinking América,” and “Changemakers.” Each section highlights how Chicano artists have used the accessible and reproducible medium of printmaking to confront injustice, affirm cultural identity, and engage in transformative storytelling. Govea’s new mural draws inspiration from works in the exhibition—many of which were created by artists from the Self Help Graphics community. As the only original commission within Radical Histories, it underscores SHG’s enduring role as a catalyst for Chicana/o/x and Latinx art in Los Angeles since 1973.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH
MELISSA GOVEA

Govea’s pieces are the only new works in the “Radical Histories,” show. Govea is known for her interdisciplinary practice exploring labor, identity, and community. The mural, inspired by works in the exhibition, is on view in a dedicated section of the gallery, bridging the legacy of the 1960s with contemporary movements.

UPCOMING EVENTS RELATED TO THE EXHIBITION

Evening for Educators: Chicano Prints
Wednesday, December 10 |  5–7:30 PM | Grades K-5
Thursday, December 11 |  5–7:30 PM | Grades 6-12

• Discover the history and lasting impact of Chicano graphic prints from the 20th century in this after-hours workshop. Aligning with the exhibition Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, explore how artists use printmaking to speak to different cultural issues and leave with a classroom printmaking activity.

• More information and tickets here

Second Sunday: Barrio Mobile Art Studio at The Huntington

Saturday December 14 | 11 AM–2 PM

• Join Self Help Graphics & Art for a special printmaking workshop. Create your own foam block print inspired by the artwork featured in the exhibition.  Plus, receive a free commemorative poster designed by resident Self Help Graphics artist Alfonso Aceves of Kalli Arte Collective. Posters are limited and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. 

• This event also features a performance by Los Jornaleros del Norte, an Altadena-based band, as well as a conversation with curators Angélica Becerra, the Bradford and Christine Mishler Associate Curator of American Art, and Diego Godoy, associate curator of California and Hispanic collections, around how Chicano artists have used printmaking as a tool for resistance, community engagement, and the reclamation of cultural identity.  Last, Bloom Wild Bookshop, a Los Angeles–based mobile bookstore and California native seed shop, will be on-site!

• More information and tickets here

‘RADICAL HISTORIES’ IN THE PRESS

• The Pasadena Now | Huntington Debuts Major Chicano Art Exhibition Celebrating Six Decades of Printmaking as Activism

• Hey SoCal | Radical History: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum opens at The Huntington

• PBS SoCal | Best Things to Do in SoCal and LA

• We Like LA | Things To Do This Week in Los Angeles

• Pasadena Weekly | Expression, Resistance and Community: The Huntington highlights Chicano printmaking with traveling exhibit

“Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum” is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Generous support for this exhibition is provided by the Douglas and Eunice Erb Goodan Endowment. Additional funding is provided by The Ahmanson Foundation Exhibition and Education Endowment, the Boone Foundation, Dorian Huntington Davis, The Melvin R. Seiden-Janine Luke Exhibition Fund in memory of Robert F. Erburu, and The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation.