Exhibit at PNW Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum: Dia de los Muertos - A Day of Rememberance
Name:
Exhibit at PNW Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum: Dia de los Muertos - A Day of Rememberance
Date:
October 12, 2021 - November 28, 2021
Event Description:
Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead - is a holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Although marked throughout Latin America and Latinx communities around the world, Dia de los Muertos is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated. It’s a commemoration that celebrates the dead in a time-honored tradition that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, which was brought to the region by Spanish conquistadores in Mexico’s early colonial days.
Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. It recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. It also recognizes that cultural and familial associations continue beyond death. On the holiday, the dead are included as part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.
Calacas and Calaveras (skeletons and skulls) are perhaps the most familiar symbols of the festivities. They are nearly always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations. Bright colored flowers, often marigolds, and candles, along with familiar smells and music, lead the souls of the departed back to their loved ones to celebrate the holiday together.
Dia de los Muertos rituals are rich with symbolic meaning. The more you understand about the symbolism in this art, the more you will appreciate it. For this reason, we have included the artists’ statements in full so that you can know more of the stories behind the artwork.
For this exhibit, we invited artists to participate, regardless of heritage or ethnicity. We asked that entrants respect the spirit of the holiday and honor their departed in ways appropriate to their own cultural experience and traditions. As a result, you will see a mix of traditional Dia de los Muertos imagery and art that takes a departure from the Latinx tradition but still embraces the spirit of the event.
We invite you to take it all in, in the spirit of joy and celebration with which it is presented, and to participate with us by leaving a departed loved one’s name or photo on our “ofrenda”.
Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. It recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. It also recognizes that cultural and familial associations continue beyond death. On the holiday, the dead are included as part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.
Calacas and Calaveras (skeletons and skulls) are perhaps the most familiar symbols of the festivities. They are nearly always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations. Bright colored flowers, often marigolds, and candles, along with familiar smells and music, lead the souls of the departed back to their loved ones to celebrate the holiday together.
Dia de los Muertos rituals are rich with symbolic meaning. The more you understand about the symbolism in this art, the more you will appreciate it. For this reason, we have included the artists’ statements in full so that you can know more of the stories behind the artwork.
For this exhibit, we invited artists to participate, regardless of heritage or ethnicity. We asked that entrants respect the spirit of the holiday and honor their departed in ways appropriate to their own cultural experience and traditions. As a result, you will see a mix of traditional Dia de los Muertos imagery and art that takes a departure from the Latinx tradition but still embraces the spirit of the event.
We invite you to take it all in, in the spirit of joy and celebration with which it is presented, and to participate with us by leaving a departed loved one’s name or photo on our “ofrenda”.
