Transcending Borders:
7th Annual Día de Los Muertos Festival Exhibit
October 26, 2006 – January 15, 2007
To view a selection of altars from this exhibit, click here.
Día de los Muertos
Death is a border that everyone will cross; there are no rules or regulations to prevent it from happening.
The unique ancestral tradition of Día de los Muertos dates back more than 3,000 years ago in Mexico and Central Latin America. It was a month-long celebration that acknowledged and respected the duality of life and death. Today the holiday is infused with both indigenous and Catholic beliefs and is a two-day invitation for the dead to visit the living.
This tradition provides a way to acknowledge grievances and to celebrate lives through the creation of altars, decoration of gravesites and gathering of loved ones. Dedications can be in the form of food, music, dance, prayer, art and remembrances. The holiday is a time to grieve, rejoice and honor death as a part of life. The Aztecs believed that “to live is to dream and to die is to awaken” viewing death as “a transition, a progression and even as the ultimate experience in life” (Judy King).
A Note from the Curator
Transcending Borders touches on the notion of borders in both the physical and theoretical application of the term. Artists highlighted in this exhibit truly captured the spirit of the theme by interpreting ‘border’ in various ways – from borders between countries and cultures, to boundaries between sexes, religions, political views and art genres; this exhibit encompasses them all.
The inclusion of innovative and sometimes challenging pieces is intended to provide cross-cultural exchanges and a dialog with you, the visitor. Art is a way to express emotions and viewpoints that may otherwise be incommunicable. The Day of the Dead also offers a way to get at the complex nature of art by invoking powerful emotions, solemnity and celebration together.
The Artists
Marco Albarran
Kjellgren Alkire
Fernando Cruz
Reuben Galicia
John Leanos
Pablo Luna
Ruben Maqueda
Michelle Martinez
Cynthia Moreno-Krumrey
Carlos Navarrete
Juan Olalde
Chloe Palmer
Janette Reyes-Heath
Deborah Silvis
Rosie Villegas-Smith
Sandra Yagi
Trish JusTrish
Gabriela Carrillo
Coty Dolores-Miranda
Sara Eto
Cynthia Gonzalez
Emma Gonzalez
Carmen Guerrero
Mary & Caroline Kinsley
Moises Salcedo
Yvonne Villareal-Torres
Caesar Chavez High School AP Spanish Class
Sherry Tierney
Layla Luna
Mark Newport’s 3-D Fibers Class
Ashley Lounsbury
Brenda Aguirre
Richard Breuninger
Ryan Miller
Sarah King
Courtney Bowdall
Nathan Bernacet
Silvia Rodriguez
James Soto
John Leanos’ class
Melissa Larios
Humberto Rosales
Michael Comroe
Maria Del Toral
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