Latino arts center ousted from its longtime home
The L.A. Archdiocese sold the property that houses Self Help Graphics & Arts. The nonprofit center has until December to move.
Self Help Graphics & Arts, East Los Angeles' celebrated cultural center that gave rise to a number of successful Latino artists, was surprised to learn recently that the building it has occupied for the last three decades was sold and that the group must move by the end of the year.
The Los Angeles Archdiocese sold the landmark building on Cesar Chavez Avenue on July 2 to a private real estate investment company, said Armando Duron, the nonprofit art center's board president. But Duron said he only learned about the sale a day later from a lawyer representing the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis, which had asked that the property be sold.
"I told him I was very shocked and disappointed to hear he sold without telling us," Duron said. "I terminated the conversation by telling him, 'May God be with you.'"
But Sister Carol Snyder said that Self Help Graphics had been struggling financially for years. She said the order had tried unsuccessfully to help the center get grants to buy the building.
"All these years they've been rent-free," Snyder said Wednesday. "They've never been profitable, and they were no longer able to get grants. We were losing money, and we had to loan them money periodically."
The arts collective was founded by Sister Karen Boccalero more than 35 years ago. In 1978 it moved to the current location and was known for nurturing such celebrated Latino artists as Gronk, Patssi Valdez and Frank Romero. But the center, which has hosted art exhibitions, concerts, poetry readings and other community events, had struggled financially for years and temporarily closed its doors in 2005.
"It's a huge loss for the community," said Patssi Valdez, whose first exhibitions took place at Self Help Graphics & Arts. "I'm hoping there will be something in the future that can replace it or compare to it."
Boccalero died of a heart attack in 1997 and the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis, based in Redwood City, Calif., earlier this year transferred the deed to the 15,000-square foot property to the archdiocese.
Snyder said Self Help Graphics has until December to move out. She declined to go into details of the sale, but said the proceeds would be shared with the archdiocese.
She said some proceeds of the sale would fund art scholarships in East L.A. in honor of Sister Boccalero.
Snyder said she didn't know whether Duron and Self Help Graphics were told the property was about to be sold, but she said the writing was on the wall.
"We've been working with them for three years. I don't think this should be a surprise," Snyder said. "If they didn't buy the place, we would have to place sell it."
Duron said that the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis had provided the center little help in trying to acquire the building. He said the order sent one letter supporting one grant proposal to buy the property.
"To characterize it like they've been helping us for three years is absolutely misleading," Duron said. "I hope she goes to confession about it."
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