S.H.E. Gallery
Founder and Director,
Dulce Maria Diaz
S.H.E. GALLERY (Sharing His Energy) is a private fully self-funded, Latina-owned and women-owned non-profit arts and education organization based in Chicago.
It is operated by immigrants, the disabled, U.S. Veterans and the communities it reaches. Founded in 2015 by Executive Director Dulce M. Diaz, the gallery's initial focus was on preserving and promoting the history of graffiti and street art, particularly through platforms for artists who paved the way for the genre. It quickly evolved into a platform far beyond that.
Video by Efren M. Villalobos, 2018
S.H.E. GALLERY
ABOUT US
Key Features and Mission
Roots: Since it was just a homework assignment, it has served as a specialized space for graffiti history and education.
Mission: Dedicated to promoting self-esteem through art and education as a path toward equality and respect for life.
Focus Area: Building Community by working with all level of artists and creating spaces to provide platform where needed.
Brick-and-Mortar: After operating without a permanent physical space for its first decade, the gallery opened a physical location in Chinatown in September 2025.
Homework:
The Dream
Dulce was rejected from her application to the University of Chicago's Visual Arts Certification Program. Each year she applied, and each year she was rejected. However, they allowed her to take the 4 modules that were a part of the "in class" part of the program, the second half was studio time and likely other advanced opportunities. She took all that she learned even if it did not earn her a diploma or a graduation, it earned her knowledge and irreplaceable experiences.
The 4 modules consisted of: Teaching, Writing, Curatorial Practices and Business for Artists. While studying Business for Artists, which was the last module of the program, Dulce was instructed to pretend she could have her own business.
Her 2015 homework assignment turned into the S.H.E. Gallery that you know today. These are the real and raw origins.
Take a read!
Stay Inspired!
Executive
Board Members
Dulce M. Diaz, b.1983
Board of Directors President
Educator/Director/ Artist
Born in Tumbiscatio de Ruiz, Michoacan, MX.
Raised in Chicago, IL. since the age of 5.
Learn more about her work as an artist, director, educator, student, paralegal and community leader: DULCE CV
"I struggled with self-esteem all my life, stemmed from childhood. I am also a survivor of much and each day I am still just surviving the traumas. My creative passions are tools that still help me heal. Without release of expression I am sure I would go crazy. It's not about being the "best" to me, it's about healing something or at times, trying to understand myself through my art and my dreams." -Dulce37
Nicolas Diaz Jr., b.1979
Board of Directors Treasurer
Artist / Graphic Designer
Born in Apatzingan, Michoacan, MX.
Raised in Chicago, IL. since the age of 8.
Nick studied at The Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago and earned his Bachelor of Applied Science in Visual Communications through Westwood College. He works with graffiti art, spray can art, digital art and some acrylic painting with focus on digital art. Nick began drawing cartoons at the early age of 5 or 6 years old until he got into the graffiti art form at the age of 13 years old. The Chicago graffiti culture has been huge influence in his life as an artist as well as a designer.
"Influenced at a young age by the art of graffiti. I have learned that composition is key to design. The amount of work I put into each letter shows, and every letter is a new new problem to solve. When I design, I say less is more because I love white space and I strive for simplicity and function. I look at design as a tool that can be changed, formed and discovered as many times as it needs to come up with the right solution." - Nicky Nags
Marina Dobrosavljevic, b. 1981
Board of Directors Secretary
Artist / Author
Born in Cuprija, Serbia.
Raised in Chicago, IL. since the age of 8.
Marina is an author/artist creating works with which she hopes to inspire , uplift, and entertain.
Writing has always been a way for Marina to express herself and in 2009 it was her writing that
inspired her to try painting which she immediately loved. Marina believes the arts can have a
positive impact in our lives and that through various forms of art we can connect with one
another in a very meaningful way.
"I feel the work I am doing with S. H. E. Gallery is very important. S.H.E. Gallery is determined
to make a difference in our communities through the arts as well as other forms of community
support and I am honored to be a part of such a great organization ." -M
Cesar Diaz,
b. 1981
Board of Directors Member
Carpentry/Artist/Designer
Born in Apatzingan, Michoacan, MX.
Raised in Chicago, IL. since the age of 8.
Cesar is a health care worker. He was a Covid19 frontline nurse. Currently, he is an organ transplant coordinator at Loyola Hospital. He is a U.S. Army Veteran who was deployed during the 2001 Afghanistan War. Cesar worked as a carpenter while he put himself through nursing school after his military career. He always had a passion for arts, design and building. He is a husband, a father of two and dedicates his life to his family while making strides in volunteer opportunities any way he can.
THE LOGO
DESIGNED BY NICK DIAZ JR.
S.H.E. Gallery's logo was originally just a typewriter font over street-brick and interior floor-wood that evolved into its signature logo designed by nD.esign. Shortly after graduating from Gage Park High School, in 1998 Nick known as NAGS was a victim and survivor of gun-violence in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood at a stop sign on 26th and Lawndale. Following his near-fatal injuries and while still battling health issues, NAGS studied at The Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago. He was kicked out of the institution for absences while he struggled with in-and-out of hospital visit challenges. He continued to pursue his degree and in 2010, he earned his Bachelor of Applied Science in Visual Communications through Westwood College. As a graffiti-based artist from Chicago's 2nd generation wave of innovators from 1992 circa, and thinking about S.H.E. Gallery's graffiti history's advocacy, this design was inspired by the original Krylon spray-can logo.
"The inspiration for the logo update was the iconic Krylon logo. I just took out the magenta and added orange and the purple, making six colors. I also made a change to the order of the colors and added paint-splatters." -NAGS
CONTACT
Design, logo, website inquiries or art commission inquiries.
Youth motivational speaking inquiries.
[email protected]