From Amigos805 staff reports
Día de los Muertos events are continuing this weekend in Oxnard and Santa Barbara.
The Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard will present its annual Día de los Muertos program as part of its Family Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 at 424 S. C St., Oxnard. The event includes decorating sugar skulls, nichos (decorating altar boxes), pan de muerto, a photo booth with Day of the Dead props and costumes and thematic face painting.
The event is free, with no reservations required. Visit http://www.carnegieam.org/free-family-day1.html for more information.
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The final workshop will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center, 250 E. 5th St., Oxnard.
The workshop will focus on “Altar / Ofrenda Design and Construction,” with a special lecture by indigenous elder-maestra Luzma Espinoza on the “Spiritual meaning of Día de los Muertos.”
The workshop leads up to the 2015 Día de Los Muertos Celebration from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at Conejo Mountain Funeral Home, Memorial Park and Crematory in Camarillo.
Call 805-890-2193 or visit click here for more information on the 2015 Día de Los Muertos Celebration.
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Participants in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Free Family Day — Día de los Muertos . Courtesy photo
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present its 26th annual Free Family Day — Día de los Muertosprogram from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1130 State St., Santa Barbara. Activities will be held in the museum’s back plaza, State Street terrace, Family Resource Center and galleries. The event includes altar displays, art activities, live music, dance performances, an interactive altar installation by Los Angeles-based Art Division and companion activity designed by the museum’s Teen Internship Program, along with traditional Mexican refreshments. Admission to the family event and to the museum is free, museum officials reported in a media release.
Inspired by the Día de los Muertos traditions and works of art currently on view in the museum galleries, the event’s art activities include mini-altars, using details of images from the “Looking In, Looking Out: Latin American Photography” exhibit, skeleton landscape postcards and paper flower still-lifes and traditional festival skull charms.
In the Family Resource Center, the public is invited to remember friends and family by adding to the community altar and to view a special installation by artists from Art Division Youth Arts Program, a professional training program for underserved young adults who show genuine commitment and passion for the visual arts. Conjunto Jardin, Mariachi Sol Huasteco and Folkloric Dance Group Quetzalcoatl return with musical and dance performances throughout the day.
The Day of the Dead is traditionally celebrated by creating altars or “ofrendas” (offerings) that include portraits, personal goods, clothing, favorite foods, and possessions of the deceased family member. This is an important social ritual that symbolizes the cycle of life and death that is human existence. SBMA’s display of altars is created by various partner schools and community organizations including La Cuesta Continuation High School, Santa Barbara Public Library Eastside Branch, Montecito Union School, the Carpinteria Library Homework Center and Marymount School of Santa Barbara; students enrolled in the Museum’s after-school outreach programs, including Homework/Artwork After-School; Art After School in collaboration with the Police Activities League, and A-OK After School Education and Safety Programs at Santa Barbara Community Academy; and Brandon Elementary, El Camino Elementary, and Aliso Elementary, recipients of the Museum’s in-classroom outreach program ArtReach. Each group has incorporated traditional symbols and iconography to offer thanks to departed family, friends, or artists in the museum’s collection.
Limited edition t-shirts and tote bags with original, stenciled designs created by La Cuesta Continuation High School student artists are also on sale as part of the celebration. The sale proceeds go toward the La Cuesta Art Scholarship, which will be awarded to a graduating senior at the 2016 commencement. Click here or here for more information.