Colorful community celebration offers free fun for all ages
VENTURA — The community is invited to a traditional celebration of Dia de Los Muertos as created by four Ventura County artists in the spirit of the zocalo, or “village square,” complete with a community altar and performance space, 2:30–5:30 p.m., Nov. 5, on the Center Court Stage at the Pacific View Mall, 3001 E. Main Street, Ventura.
Appropriate for all ages, attendees are encouraged to wear traditional costumes to this free celebration featuring the art, poetry and music recently produced in a series of free public workshops offered at the Arts Collective Studio, operated by the Ventura County Arts Council at the Pacific View Mall. The community celebration and the workshops are an initiative of the Ventura County Arts Council, supported by a California Arts Council Arts Activating Communities grant, a City of Ventura Cultural Funding Program Grant and the management of Pacific View Mall.
“We are excited to celebrate the unique art, music and poetry of Dia de los Muertos with our entire community,” said Alice Love, senior marketing director of Pacific View Mall. “Over the past two months, I have been inspired by the passion and artistry the workshop participants have demonstrated while learning the creative processes associated with the art, music and poetry of Dia de los Muertos.”
Courtesy photo
The event begins with a presentation on the meaning of Dia de los Muertostraditions by Yenelli Law, a descendent of Nahua tradition (Aztec culture) who, since childhood, has received instruction in the fundamental disciplines of the Nahua traditions from her parents, and is influenced by her grandmother’s Oaxaca Mixteco roots. Through her workshops she has been sharing some of the techniques that she learned from her ancestors to honor them and celebrate them with this Dia de Los Muertos event.
The stage décor was created over the past two months by community volunteers participating in the free workshops and presents both traditional and contemporary perspectives on Dia de Los Muertos themes. According to the project’s lead artist, MB Hanrahan, the ‘Mall de los Muertos’ has been created in the spirit of the Posada and assembled as a portable mural installation, portraying the denizens of the Mall as “Muertos.”
Adding vibrant color to the celebration will be hundreds of tissue paper flowers decorating the ofrendas (altars) created in the free workshops lead by Law. In addition to the flowers, beautiful Catrinas and papel picado also created in Law’s workshops, will be adding beautiful traditional elements to the ofrendas.
“Love Poems for the Recently Departed” portion of the celebration will include literary ofrendas presented through spoken word. There will be an anthologized collection of the poetry produced by the Ventura County Arts Council. Poets will include Fernando Albert Salinas, Javan Cy Salinas, Jennifer Kelley, Fred Odom, Joe Zimmerman, Kaiden Cole Wilde, Shawn McCoy, and students from Pacifica High School (Oxnard) and One Step a la Vez (Fillmore). If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the anthology, contact Fernando Albert Salinas, doorway2themind@yahoo.com.
“Musical Ofrenda to Our Ancients,” featuring Christine M. Plasencia and her violinists, is the result of a series of music workshops at which participants had the opportunity to learn traditional songs for Día de Los Muertos, and related songs with Latino roots. Through exploring and researching new interpretations of familiar songs, this musical ofrenda builds a bridge between the Hispanic and Non-Hispanic public. Performed in both Spanish and English, these interpretations are close to the original versions, and create “open windows” for everyone to celebrate the traditional holiday.
Commenting on the community involvement, Margaret Travers, VCAC executive director, remarked, “The Ventura County Arts Council is delighted to have the opportunity to share this colorful celebration of life with our fellow Pacific View Mall retailers and the community. We especially thank all of the volunteer artists who attended the workshops and produced the marvelous Village Square setting for this year’s Dia De Los Muertos celebration.”
The Program:
- 2:30 p.m. A brief explanation of Dia de los Muertos – its origins, traditions, meanings and the elements of the ofrendas, in Spanish/English by Yenelli Law
- 2:45-3:30 p.m. “Love Poems for the Recently Departed” Fernando Albert Salinas and his workshop poets
- 3:30 p.m. Repeat of Introduction/Explanation
- 4:00-4:45 p.m. Musical Ofrenda to Our Ancients: Music and Performance –
- Juan D. Mendoza and his workshop ensemble
- 4:45-5:30 p.m. Guest performance by Harmony Project of Ventura County – Harmony Project of Ventura County, a program of the New West Symphony. Among the performers will be their Honors Chamber Ensembles. The Harmony Project is a youth development program focused on instrumental training that engages children in intensive after-school programming for grades 3 through 10.
For information about ongoing classes and workshops at the Arts Collective Studio, contact:
VCartscollective@gmail.com 805-676-1540
http://vcartscouncil.org/arts-collective/dia-de-los-muertos
For nearly 20 years, the Ventura County Arts Council, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization, has served Ventura County residents as the local arts agency designated by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to serve the county’s citizens in partnership with the California Arts Council. VCAC advocates for the arts and for increased?arts instruction in schools, and fosters community development through the arts, serving county artists, arts organizations and the general public through?partnerships with arts supporters, businesses, foundation, and community leaders. VCAC embraces diversity and strives to reach low income and minority communities with programs designed to engage these diverse population.