LOS ANGELES (October 21, 2026) — Self Help Graphics & Art (SHG) will present Monarchs & Migration: Honoring Our Immigrant Legacies, a Día de los Muertos exhibition curated by artist Consuelo G. Flores, on view October 24 through December 6, 2026 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Downtown Los Angeles.
Presented by Self Help Graphics & Art in partnership with LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the exhibition brings together altars and artworks by Flores and a multigenerational group of artists connected to SHG’s history and legacy. At its center is a powerful question: What do we inherit from those who crossed borders, built new lives, and made our own futures possible?
Drawing its title and inspiration from Flores’ 2026 Self Help Graphics Día de los Muertos Commemorative Print, “Monarchs and Migration: Children at the Boarder of Freedom,” the exhibition uses the monarch butterfly as both image and metaphor. Fragile yet capable of extraordinary journeys across borders and generations, the monarch becomes a symbol of the resilience carried by immigrant families and the ancestors whose sacrifices continue to shape their descendants' lives.
“The monarch butterflies at the heart of this exhibition embody migration and the enduring hope of metamorphosis. Their journey invites us to consider the “American Dream”—and how that dream is being tested by the descendants of those who came before us, the original immigrants.
The legacies we honor in this exhibition remind us where we come from and how much we are capable of becoming. These works are deeply rooted in our community: in the stories and sacrifices of parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Some may have been here before today’s borders existed; others crossed borders in search of safety, opportunity, or a new beginning after hardship in their homelands.
Borders are human constructs; migration and metamorphosis are part of the natural world. In bringing these stories together, the exhibition asks us to reflect on what connects us across generations—and to consider how the journeys of those who came before continue to shape who we are and who we might become,” said Consuelo G. Flores.
Monarchs & Migration connects the past to the present by honoring ancestors through both family lineage and migration journeys. The exhibition bears witness to communities’ endurance in the face of persecution while celebrating the dreams, courage and transformative love that allow families and cultures to endure across generations.
The exhibition features work by Flores and artists with longstanding connections to SHG, including Jose Antonio Aguirre, Lalo Alcaraz, Linda Arreola, Raul Baltazar, Paul Botello, Mita Cuaron, Victoria Delgadillo, Alex Donis and Ana Maria Donis, Consuelo G. Flores, Alaín Flores Norte, Gian Flores Norte, Joe Galarza, Emilia Garcia, Yolanda Gonzalez, Willie Herrón, Kalli Arte Collective, Will Loya, Álvaro D. Márquez, Jessica Monares, Armando Norte, Moni Perez, Rose Portillo, Antonio Rael, Andrea Ramirez “Mextica,” Julie Rodriguez, Sandy Rodriguez, Ginette Rondeau, Marissa Magdalena Sykes, Eloy Torrez, Linda Vallejo, and others.
Flores’ commemorative print, produced with SHG Lead Printer Dewey Tafoya and Studio Assistant Gabby Claro, will also be featured in the exhibition. The 26.5-by-20-inch screenprint was selected as SHG’s 2026 Día de los Muertos Commemorative Print and helped establish the title and thematic framework for this year’s exhibition.
“Self Help Graphics’ Día de los Muertos tradition has always been about much more than remembering those who came before us. It is also about understanding what they leave behind — the culture, stories, struggles and possibilities we inherit,” said Paulina Flores, Executive Director of Self Help Graphics & Art. “Monarchs & Migration gives us a space to honor those journeys and recognize how profoundly immigrant histories have shaped Los Angeles.”
“LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes shares with Self Help Graphics a commitment to preserving the stories and traditions that shape our communities," says Tracy Serrano, Interim CEO of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. “We’re proud to host this exhibition in our galleries, honoring the immigrant experiences and artistic voices that are integral to Los Angeles’ cultural identity.”
Monarchs & Migration is part of Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Season, one of the longest-running public Día de los Muertos commemorations in the United States. SHG’s annual season honors ancestors while uplifting the living communities they nurtured through art, cultural tradition and intergenerational programming.
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Image Credit: Consuelo G. Flores, Monarchs and Migration: Children at the Boarder of Freedom, 2026 Screenprint, 26.5” x 20” sheet. Self Help Graphics & Art’s 2026 Día de los Muertos Commemorative Print. Artwork photograph by Eric Jaipal.
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Monarchs & Migration: Honoring Our Immigrant Legacies
A Día de los Muertos Exhibition
Presented by Self Help Graphics & Art
Curated by Consuelo G. Flores
In partnership with LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
On View: October 24–November 29, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 5-8 PM
Curatorial Walkthrough and Panel: Thursday, November 19, 2026, 6-8:30 PM
Location: LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
501 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
About Self Help Graphics & Art
Self Help Graphics & Art is dedicated to the production, interpretation, and distribution of prints and other art media by Chicana/o and Latinx artists. Through multidisciplinary and intergenerational programs, SHG promotes artistic excellence and empowers community by providing access to space, tools, training, and resources. Founded and rooted in Boyle Heights since 1970, SHG has served for more than 50 years as a cultural epicenter and cornerstone of Chicana/o and Latinx artistic production in Los Angeles, and is home to one of the largest collections of Chicana/o and Latinx fine art prints in the country. More than half a century later, SHG remains a living institution: advancing emerging artists through world-class printmaking, preserving a cultural archive that bridges generations, and leading with the conviction that art is a catalyst for social change.
About LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a community hub where people gather to celebrate Latinx culture through transformative exhibitions, music, dance, culinary arts, and multigenerational artmaking and storytelling experiences. An anchor cultural institution in Los Angeles County, LA Plaza centers the Latino experience and provides a space to uplift, share, and preserve the stories of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latinx people in Southern California. Established in 2011, LA Plaza is a non-profit organization and a Smithsonian affiliate museum.
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