WPCA Celebrates Peace and Unity with 24th Annual Dia de los Muertos Exhibition

Walker’s Point Center for the Arts 24th Annual Día de los Muertos Exhibition

Milwaukee, WI – Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a celebration of life and death, and a time to pay tribute to loved ones who have passed and to reflect on those precious ones who are still with us. This Latin American tradition speaks to a universal theme of family, community and honoring the memories of loved ones who have departed from this world.

Colorful ofrendas (offerings/altars) commemorate the dead and welcome their returning souls during the holiday (November 1 & 2, proper). The exhibition not only presents a cultural and art experience, but also offers stories of those who, even in their absence, prove to be impactful and continue to inspire people who carry their memories in life. The ofrendas, created by local artists and community members, are festively decorated with traditional motifs like the marigold flower, sugar skull, papel picado, monarch butterfly, as well as food, beverages and personal items reflecting the life of the person commemorated.

The focus of the exhibition this year is “peace and unity.” The celebration of life and death is common across cultures, race, class and religion, and Dia has the tradition of bringing people together. WPCA’s longstanding Dia exhibition pays tribute to the Latin American tradition as well as the Latino community—our community—of Walker’s Point and surrounding neighborhoods. As it is often the precious memories of the deceased that gives us added sense of cherishing the living, the exhibition reminds us to celebrate our differences and recognize in our similarities, which are often greater.

This year we are honored to have ofrendas created by Jeanette Arellano, Georgina Campbell, Celeste Contreras, Marcela Garcia, Janice L. Mahlberg, Pam Miller, Dulce Rosas & South Division High School students, Mary Smith, Sue Vliet and Voces de la Frontera. WPCA’s arts education program students, led by Arts Education Coordinator Maikue Vang as tradition, will present an ofrenda in honor of the late community organizer Juan Carlos Ruiz, who passed away on March 3, 2016. Other Dia related artwork will also be on view.

Opening reception will include Mexican food and beverage fare from local restaurants, Mexican folk dance by Instituto Cultural de Danza de Manuel Gaona and a presentation about this year’s exhibition.

For more information, visit: http://wpca-milwaukee.org/dia2016/.

Walker’s Point Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization in support of visual and performing arts and youth arts education. The center fosters creativity in children through innovative, hands-on education and encourages audience development and artistic talent with a diverse blend of programming. Our exhibitions, which features both regional and national talent, encourages thoughtful social dialog and community engagement.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.