2008 Woodie Awards
Art gallery celebrates Dia de Los Muertos
Haley Aaron
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Expressions
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Skeletons greet you as you enter the cemetery for a Dia de Los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead," celebration. During a processional, you come face-to-face with La Catrina, a symbol of the dead.
On Nov. 2, the parking lot of Bare Hands Gallery in Birmingham will transform into a temporary graveyard, filled with altars to honor the dead. Celebrants will come in elaborate costumes.
The gallery's festivities begin at 3 p.m. when the gates of the "graveyard" swing open to admit children who may decorate sugar skulls, assemble paper flowers and paint masks. Festivities and the remembrance of the dead will continue until midnight.
The Dia de Los Muertos festival at Bare Hands Gallery began in 2003 to honor artist Spider Martin.
"Tracy Martin, a Bare Hands artist, wanted to remember her father on the Day of the Dead with an altar at the gallery, as they had both traveled to Mexico many times and loved the Dia de los Muertos celebrations they had seen there," Gallery Director Wendy Jarvis said.
What began as a memorial for one artist soon grew into a way for the community to remember friends and family members who had died.
"The turn-out for Spider was inspiring, and many who attended asked if they could place items on the altar to remember their loved ones," Jarvis said. "By the end of the night we knew we had something special to share with Birmingham."
The festival has continued to grow; around 700 people attended the festival last year.
"Each year more and more people come and bring mementos for those they wish to honor and enjoy the art and performance as they celebrate the time they had with those departed," Jarvis said.
The gallery models their festival after traditional Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. In Mexico, participants display highly decorated "sugar skulls" and skeletons. Families across the country come together to celebrate with altars containing photographs, mementos and food. Families also visit local cemeteries to maintain graves and leave fresh flowers.
On Nov. 2, the parking lot of Bare Hands Gallery in Birmingham will transform into a temporary graveyard, filled with altars to honor the dead. Celebrants will come in elaborate costumes.
The gallery's festivities begin at 3 p.m. when the gates of the "graveyard" swing open to admit children who may decorate sugar skulls, assemble paper flowers and paint masks. Festivities and the remembrance of the dead will continue until midnight.
The Dia de Los Muertos festival at Bare Hands Gallery began in 2003 to honor artist Spider Martin.
"Tracy Martin, a Bare Hands artist, wanted to remember her father on the Day of the Dead with an altar at the gallery, as they had both traveled to Mexico many times and loved the Dia de los Muertos celebrations they had seen there," Gallery Director Wendy Jarvis said.
What began as a memorial for one artist soon grew into a way for the community to remember friends and family members who had died.
"The turn-out for Spider was inspiring, and many who attended asked if they could place items on the altar to remember their loved ones," Jarvis said. "By the end of the night we knew we had something special to share with Birmingham."
The festival has continued to grow; around 700 people attended the festival last year.
"Each year more and more people come and bring mementos for those they wish to honor and enjoy the art and performance as they celebrate the time they had with those departed," Jarvis said.
The gallery models their festival after traditional Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. In Mexico, participants display highly decorated "sugar skulls" and skeletons. Families across the country come together to celebrate with altars containing photographs, mementos and food. Families also visit local cemeteries to maintain graves and leave fresh flowers.