NOV 7, 2024 | ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | By Sydney McGarr
This weekend, the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College invited the community of Colorado Springs to celebrate Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead on Nov. 1 and 2.
The traditional Mexican holiday, honored by countless cultural groups worldwide, allows celebrators to honor their passed loved ones through participation in Mexican traditions, such as making sugar skulls and contributing to memorial altars.
The FAC has held the Dia de los Muertos celebration annually since 2019. This year, the museum offered free admission during the celebration and offered a large crowd the opportunity to experience many Dia de los Muertos traditions, including craft-making and live music. Among the museum’s public displays in connection with the event were ofrendas created by local elementary, middle and high school students. Ofrendas are colorful altars that often include offerings intended to honor the memories of deceased loved ones and call them back to the world of the living.
Each altar on display had a different intention and meaning. Some displayed pictures of late celebrities while others featured drawings of deceased pets. A description of one ofrenda, created by fifth-grade students at Columbia Elementary, a local Colorado Springs elementary school invited to contribute to the exhibition, emphasized the efforts younger children put into the activity.
“It is incredibly moving to witness the care and dedication that each student puts into their artwork, reflecting the deep love and memories they hold for their loved ones. The stories they share and the thoughtfulness behind their creations highlight the profound connections we maintain with those we cherish,” said Tiffany Holbrook, the Columbia Elementary student’s art teacher.
The event also featured an opportunity to create calaveritas, or sugar skulls. The colorful skulls made of powdered sugar and egg whites are often used to decorate ofrendas and symbolize the departed souls in the circle of life. Other activities included live music from a Mariachi band, a children’s costume contest, face painting, an installation by artist Cal Duran and refreshments available for purchase.
The celebration reflected the Colorado Springs community’s enthusiasm to celebrate and honor their departed loved ones. Many visitors dressed in traditional Dia de los Muertos attire: colorful clothing and faces painted to resemble skulls.
As event consultant Moni Hernandez told KKTV 11 News, “We’re all gonna go one day. So let’s just embrace it, let’s celebrate it. Let’s have a good time. Come on out to the Colorado College Fine Arts Center.”
An ofrenda burning ceremony will be held at the FAC on Nov. 8 to further honor and remember loved ones. In the words of the museum’s website, the memories and photographs will be burned and “committed to the cosmos.”