Art Center East

ABOUT DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS IMPORTANT DATES TAKE & MAKE ART KITS

November 1 - November 9, 2024

Día de los Muertos returns to Art Center East!

Art Center East is proud to host our sixth annual Community Ofrenda and Youth Art Exhibit in celebration of Día de los Muertos, a traditional Mexican holiday that celebrates and honors loved ones who have passed away. This year’s event begins Friday, November 1, with an opening reception – everyone’s invited! – from 6:00 - 8:00 pm, and runs through Saturday, November 9. The exhibit will feature over 300 pieces of Día de los Muertos artwork by K-12 students from Union, Wallowa, and Umatilla counties. On Saturday, November 2, community members can enjoy visiting the exhibit and ofrenda during a quiet candlelit reflection time from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. The exhibit and community gatherings are free!

We encourage community members of all ages to reflect at the communal ofrenda (altar), a central part of Día de los Muertos. Ofrendas are adorned with colorful marigolds, photos of deceased loved ones, and offerings of favorite foods and/or symbolic items to celebrate the lives of those who have passed. We invite you to bring in a photo and/or a memento of a lost loved one beginning at 12:00 pm on November 1. You’ll place these items on the ofrenda. Paper will be available for writing a message, or feel free to bring your own message. See the beautiful ofrenda with all its candles lit on Saturday, November 2, during quiet reflection time from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Please plan to pick up your items on November 9.

Visit the student Día de los Muertos art exhibit and the community ofrenda November 1 - 9 during gallery hours: Wednesday - Friday 12:00 - 5:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. ACE galleries are open to the public and admission is always free.

SAVE THE DATE!

- November 1 - 9 | Día de los Muertos Youth Art Exhibit

- November 1 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Opening Reception and Community Gathering

- November 2 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Candlelit Reflection

ABOUT Día de los Muertos

Join Art Center East to experience this special holiday. Día de los Muertos is a Mexican national holiday that celebrates the joys of life and offers an opportunity to honor loved ones who have passed away. This celebration is cheerful and playful rather than mournful and sad, and its traditions highlight the importance of family, both living and dead. Día de los Muertos is traditionally celebrated in Mexico and Central and South America but has also become a widely celebrated holiday in the United States and other countries worldwide.

Though Día de los Muertos sugar skulls (calaveras) and costumed skeletons (calacas) have become more commonplace in the United States as an extension of Halloween imagery, they are not intended to be spooky. Día de Los Muertos came about as a fusion between the Catholic holidays All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) and the ancestor-honoring traditions of Indigenous Mexico. Families prepare for this special day by tidying and decorating their ancestors' graves, preparing a feast of foods their ancestors loved, and laying a pathway of marigolds. There is music, singing, lots of good food, and happy reminiscing. This annual event helps younger family members learn more about their ancestors and strengthens family bonds.

Combining Mexican folk art, vibrant colors, music, parades, food, and family, Día de Los Muertos is a memorial and celebratory holiday that encourages meaningful reflection on the beauty and brevity of life. UNESCO recognizes its unique traditions as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.