Day of the Dead Altars Arts Center Ozark Museum

Dia De Los Muertos: Dead live again in altars, artwork, celebrations

LARA JO HIGHTOWER

lhightower@nwadg.com

For Silvia Merino, events manager for the Latin Art System of Arkansas, celebrating Dia de los Muertos was a family tradition all through her babyhood. Merino says the almanac celebration started on the evening of October. 31, when the family started assembling an chantry or "ofrenda."

"In my family, and this happens in most houses in Mexico, nosotros would prepare an altar with pictures of everybody in our family who had passed away, and the food that they liked when they were live, and nosotros call up what they were doing when they were live, then we go to bed," she explains. "We remember and believe that our ancestors come up through that nighttime — the little ones that passed away come up Nov. i, and then, on Nov. ii, come the adults. Then once we finish on Nov. ii, nosotros can eat all of the food that was office of the altar. And what most of the families do is bring all of that food to the cemetery."

The celebration, explains Merino, is not almost grief. Instead, information technology's nigh remembering those we loved and lost, keeping those memories alive by jubilant who they were and what they meant to us. Merino says her family would usually bring a mariachi band to the cemetery to celebrate.

"I call back that information technology would be good for everybody to know that what we clothing for the Twenty-four hour period of the Dead is not a costume, it's civilisation," says Silvia Merino. "I don't feel offended because sometimes people don't know — information technology's kind of funny that people say, 'I want to exist a Catrina for Halloween' — merely I call up it's important for people to empathise that we don't expect to encounter people dressed equally a Catrina for Halloween." (File Photo/Flip Putthoff)

"Nosotros have drinks, we take food," she says. "It's basically a party. I didn't know exactly what losing someone meant until I lost my dad. It's different when it'due south someone who is and so shut to you. This makes me feel shut to him — fixing the food that he liked and trying to observe the cigarettes he liked, which are very hard to find in the U.s.a.. I have to gild the cigarettes from Texas or somewhere else so I can have them for him. Only that training makes me feel like he'due south going to come up. He'due south going to come, he'southward going to eat my food, and we're going to hug each other, at least in my dreams."

Merino'south organization has been hosting a Northwest Arkansas Dia de los Muertos celebration for around eight years at present, and, she says, it simply keeps getting bigger every yr. This twelvemonth, the altar building past the organization began on Oct. 31 at Shiloh Foursquare in Springdale, with the public invited to bring their offerings — photographs and/or food items in memory of their loved ones — on Nov. 2. The Procesion del Dia de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead Procession — is scheduled to begin at noon on Nov. 6 at Shiloh Square; one time completed, mariachi Joya Azteca and trip the light fantastic toe visitor Ballet Folklorico Herencia de Mexico will officially kick off the communitywide commemoration.

Joining that celebration are partners Arts Ane Presents and the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. Anne Jackson, Arts 1 Presents executive director, says it was important for her organization to keep the relationship that the Arts Eye of the Ozarks had with the Latin Fine art Arrangement of Arkansas.

"Nosotros're continuing that partnership by curating an art exhibition that will be on view at the Shiloh Museum from November. 6 until Dec. 4," explains Jackson. "With this specific exhibition, we're telling the multi-generational stories of how various generations interpret this day of celebration honoring their loved ones."

Artwork by Isaac Helguera will also be featured in "Dia de Muertos: A Cultural Estimation of the Times," on testify Nov. half dozen-December. 4 at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale. The exhibition is a partnership between the Shiloh Museum, the Latin Art Organization of Arkansas and Arts 1 Presents, the organization formerly known equally the Arts Center of the Ozarks. The museum is open 10 a.chiliad.-v p.m. Monday-Saturday, and admission is free. For information, call 750-8165. (Courtesy Image/Arts I Presents)

Jackson says around 30 works of art will be on brandish.

"Nosotros accepted submissions in both English and Spanish, some from Trivial Rock as well as throughout the Northwest Arkansas region," she says. "The submissions have been really incredible. I remember nosotros'll take an incredible showing of artists, and the majority of them have been from LatinX artists and a few who would identify as supporters of the LatinX community — all interpretations of Dia de los Muertos."

Jackson says working with the Shiloh Museum, the Latin Art Organization of Arkansas — every bit well equally with Downtown Springdale Alliance and CACHE — helps spread sensation almost all the organizations involved and what's going on in downtown Springdale.

"Having the opportunity to go beyond one facility has actually forged the way for the Downtown Springdale Alliance, the Latin Art Organization, the Shiloh Museum and even Cache to come on board and effigy out ways in which we can back up one another and aid 1 day of celebration help broaden the accomplish for all of us."

FAQ

Dia de los Muertos

In Springdale

WHEN — Day of the Dead Procession, noon Nov. 6; music, dancing, crafts and food, 1 p.m. Nov. 6

WHERE — Shiloh Square in downtown Springdale

COST — Free

INFO — latinartarkansas.org

FYI

Fayetteville

Dia De Los Muertos

Fenix Arts' Mean solar day of the Expressionless exhibit opened on Oct. 22, and a commemoration and awards ceremony volition be held from 6-eight p.one thousand. on Nov. 6. A Day of the Dead ofrenda volition be gear up upwards at Cottage Circumvolve Gazebo directly across from the gallery, and the evening volition feature a parade, led past a giant monarch butterfly and traditional Mexican folklorico dancers, from the gallery to the gazebo. Community members are invited to place objects and items on the ofrenda in remembrance of their deceased relatives. The evening will also feature traditional food and "Twenty-four hours of the Dead" art projects created by students at Springdale and Har-Ber high schools. Amidst participating artists is Isaac Helguera, whose work is pictured here. Fenix Arts is at 150 N. Skyline Drive in Fayetteville. Phone call 530-6023 for more than data.