October 27 - November 11, 2023

Día de los Muertos returns to Art Center East!

Art Center East’s annual Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead exhibits and community celebration will open with a community gathering on October 27, 2023. The Orlaske Gallery features artworks created by K-12 students from throughout the region inspired by Mexican folk-art traditions associated with Día de los Muertos. The Main Gallery features "Poems of Loss and Suspiro" by Amelia Díaz Ettinger, an exhibit of broadside poetry. Join us for our family-friendly community celebration on October 27 at Art Center East and visit the exhibit through November 11. The exhibit and the community celebration are free! 

The community altar (ofrenda) at ACE will be open to the public beginning October 27. We invite you to bring in a photo and/or a memento of a lost loved one starting October 27 at 12:00 pm.  You’ll place these on the ofrenda to honor and celebrate your loved ones who have passed away. (Please plan to pick up your item(s) on November 9 or 10). 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 Friday, October 27, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Visit the K-12 students’ Day of the Dead art exhibit and view the community altar (ofrenda) October 27 - November 11 during gallery hours: Wednesday-Friday 12:00-5:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Gallery admission is always free.

SAVE THE DATE!

- October 27, 2023 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Dual Opening Reception & Community Gathering

- November 1, 2023 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Candlelit Reflection
- November 1, 2023 from 6:30 pm | Poetry Reading by featured artist Amelia Díaz Ettinger

- November 2, 2023 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Candlelit Reflection

- October 27 - November 11, 2023 | "Poems of Loss and Suspiro" by Amelia Díaz Ettinger and Día de los Muertos Youth Art Exhibit Duration

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 Saint’s Day (November 1) and All Soul’s Day (November 2) and the ancestor-honoring traditions of indigenous Mexico. Combining Mexican folk art, vibrant colors, music, parades, food, and family, Día de Los Muertos is a memorial holiday that encourages meaningful reflection on the beauty and fleetingness of life. UNESCO recognizes its unique traditions as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Día de los Muertos is about the transitory nature of life and the importance of remembering and honoring our ancestors. It is believed that on Día de los Muertos, the souls of our deceased family members will return to their final resting place for a one-day visit. 

Families prepare for this special day by cleaning 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 celebratory holiday that presents an opportunity to honor our loved ones who have passed away. The holiday’s traditions highlight the importance of family, both living and dead, and encourage meaningful reflection on the beauty and brevity of life.

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