Category Archives: culture

Volunteer at Self Help for Dia de los Muertos

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SHG DOD INVITE_inside(Corrected)

This year, Self Help Graphics & Arts celebrates its 36th Annual Dia De Los Muertos in a new location–the East Los Angeles Civic Center, in Belvedere Lakeside Park. With so much space we are able to expand SHG booths to accommodate more of our faithful vendors, increase the kid’s arts space, and expand the entertainment area. This year, we need many more volunteers than ever before. As an experienced Day of the Dead volunteer, we are asking that you join our efforts by giving us your time to make our signature event a dynamic and memorable evening for all who participate. Our main event will take place on Monday, November 2, 2009 between 5 PM-11 PM. We can use your help with event set up, event design and décor installation, face painting, vendor assistance, entrance guardians and event breakdown. For those who cannot assist in the main event, other opportunities to volunteer at Self Help Graphics & Art (in the Upper Level of the building located at 3802 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, 90063) are:

· Workshop assistants on Saturdays in October between 12 PM – 4 PM

· Noche De Ofrenda, Saturday, October 24th, 2009 5 PM to 10 PM

· Deadly Stylish Art Exhibit Opening, Sunday, November 1st 4-8 PM

· Deadly Stylish Art Exhibit Docent, Tuesday, November 3-28*

*Additional training required, Docent schedules to be determined upon availability. As you can see, there are many opportunities for you to participate in. We are requesting:

· A three-hour commitment per shift and

· Attendance to one brief Volunteer Training Session at Self Help Graphics on:

Tuesday, October 20, at 7 PM or Thursday, October 22 at 7 PM. If you’re interested in volunteering, please read and fill out the attached volunteer form, email it to volunteer@selfhelpgraphics.com.

Click here to download volunteer application

Muy Agradecidos,

Day of the Dead Volunteer Committee

Self Help Graphics & Art

La Tree Hugger

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Trucha! La Tree Hugger has back-up!

La Tree Hugger should be my chola name. I already have a fake chola name given to me by my friends but it doesn’t fit me as well as La Tree Hugger. By the way, until the night I got my fake chola name I didn’t know I had a special talent for anointing other people with well fitting chola names. I’m just as good as the Facebook quiz. You can take me up on it, invite me for a cocktail and I will christen you with a firme moniker in a barrio baptism.

But back to the point of this post, I love trees. And one of my main criticisms of some of my fellow Eastside neighbors is their need to cut down trees. Why all the tree hating vecinos?

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Graphic from the excellent book:
The Tree Doctor: A Guide to Tree Care and Maintenance by Daniel Prendergast and Erin Prendergast

Continue reading →

Art Notes

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Donate a camera, watch some films, or follow Eastside traditions to new locations.   Some art notes for your Monday.

PICS: The Boys &  Girls Clubs of East Los Angeles Annual Fundraiser was held this past weekend, and it included a tribute to Edward Maldonado who co-founded the club in 1954,  then known  Eastside Boys Club. Maldonado was born in 1918 and recently passed away on July 24, 2009. Even in his final days, he worked with the club that now serves over 2,000 East Los Angeles youth each year. In his memory, the first Founder’s Award was given to him posthumously, and will be awarded to those whose continue the legacy of the club Maldonado he helped begin 55 years ago.

Boys & Girls Clubs of East Los Angeles now offer a photography program that allows local kids to explore and document their own neighborhood. That is important. If you wish to donate a much needed digital camera, new or used, you can drop it off at the  Boys & Girls Clubs of East Los Angeles, located at 324 N. McDonnell Avenue. Send operable cameras to the attention of Anna Araujo (323) 263- 4955.

• • •

FILM: The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival opens its 13th year with “Los Abrazos Rotos” (Broken Embraces) that stars Penélope Cruz. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, who is this year’s recipient of the festival’s Gabi Lifetime Achievement Award.

The slate of 75 films includes the L.A. premiere of “La Vida Loca,” a documentary on gangs in El Salvador that may have cost French director, Christian Poveda, his life. The Closing Night & Award Ceremony Gala, which will take place on Friday, October 16th at the Paramount Theatre, will feature a special preview screening of “Women in Trouble.”

The Los Angeles Latino Film Festival will be held October 11th to October 16th,  2009, at the Mann Chinese Cinema.

• • •

ON THE MOVE: Arte Calidad Cultural Institute’s  Dia De Los Muertos Celebration marks its 10th Anniversary. Yes, this is the same Paper Mache Calavera Exhibition and concert previously held on the 6th Street Bridge, before briefly moving to the Arts District. Now it returns to Boyle Heights on October 24th to October 25th at the Historic Hollbebeck Park (415 S. St. Louis St).  Goya Festival De La Gente partnership with CD14 Jose Huizar includes the Los Angeles Times’ HOY, who will present The Hoy Cultural Neighborhood Family Zone.

• • •

NEW LOCATION: Self Help Graphics & Art’s Dia De Los Muertos will be held at the East L.A. Civic Center on November 2, 2009. While the event starts at 5pm, the procession will gather at Belvedere Park’s Virgen de Gauadalupe Mural (Cesar E Chavez and Mednick) at 4pm. Your master of ceremonies at 4801 E. 3rd Street will be, as the flyer says, LA Eastside Blogger Pachuco 3000. Deadly Stylish, a special exhibition curated by Diana Gamboa, will open November 1st.

Happy Holidays!

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It’s my favorite time of the year, the Halloween/Dia de los Muertos holiday season.

A few years ago I went to Mexico to celebrate the Fiestas de Octubre. I was quite surprised by the fervor in which Mexico celebrates Halloween and how it’s been combined with many of the Dia de los Muertos traditions. There are many that may be dismayed by this change but not me, I thought the hybridization of traditions was inspiring and clever, most notably in the way people decorated their homes, altars and costume choices.

Just like all other holidays in Mexico, Halloween is not celebrated on just one day, I saw kids wearing their costumes up to five days ahead of the 31st and the school costume parades started on October 28th. And by the way, there’s no little princesses or cute frilly costumes in sight, it’s all ghouls, vampires, mummies and Dia de los Muertos inspired attire like La Catrina. I say we start taking our cues from Mexico and make Halloween a week-long holiday and stop dressing our kids like little cupcakes!

Since it’s right about that time when folks start preparing their altars and deciding on costume ideas, I’d like to share some of the photos I took while in Mexico. Hopefully, it will inspire you to try out some new ideas this year. I was particularly impressed by the altares created by the indigenous groups in Oaxaca, simple but beautiful.
Click the links below for more photos:

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS EN MEXICO
HALLOWEEN EN MEXICO
PAN DE MUERTO

This year I’m heading to Guadalajara and maybe Michoacan for the annual fiestas. I’m sure I’ll return with dazzled eyes and a mind swimming with ideas for next year’s projects!

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Dia de los Muertos 09 at Self Help Graphics & Art

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~click on flier for bigger version ~ Image: Deadly Stylish by Diane Gamboa, 2009

I remember last years Dia de los Muertos. I got my face painted, got a kiss from Leo Limon, ate tamales, rocked out to the bands on stage and hung out with Viki D. and P-3000 through-out the night. I can’t wait to see what this years celebration will bring. That’s why I’m excited about the workshops because it’s like a count down to the big night on Nov. 1 and 2. These workshops are kick ass because you spend an afternoon creating art, something I suck at because the calavera I painted looked like crap. Any who, the workshops are on Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and they’re always a lot of fun. So check self helps site for UP TO DATE INFO and what’s going on and mark your calender. No one does Dia de los Muertos like SHG. I wonder how many M.J. altars I’ll see ?? Continue reading →

Sal, chile y limón

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Just wanted to give a belated shout-out to all the fruteros who worked tirelessly this summer to provide the Eastside with much needed delicious and healthy snacks. Unsung heroes of la esquina, working daily, barely shaded by the cheap plastic umbrellas above you, tirelessly slicing fruit and swatting away pesky flies, thank you for being patient as you tried to get just the right amount of chile y limón on my order. May the upcoming season of champurrado y tamales be just as, uh, fruitful!