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September 9th, 2004
Day of the Dead is a unique Mexican celebration, honoring deceased loved ones and welcoming the return of their souls for one night each November.
Our new Focus Gallery exhibit offers two explorations of Day of the Dead. Skeletons and skulls are some of the most common symbols of Day of the Dead, and they appear on an array of art, holiday pieces, and everyday items. Objects loaned by three local collectors show how prevalent these symbols are and some of the many different messages they can communicate. |
Skeletons dressed as a bride and groom.
Item courtesy of Veronica M. Kann |
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A bark painting depicting a village celebrating Day of the Dead.
Item courtesy of Veronica M. Kann |
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A photography display borrowed from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico, shows in brilliant colors the preparation for the holiday. Flowers, candles, and special foods entice souls home.
A highlight of the exhibit is the ofrenda, an altar holding offerings to the deceased. Traditionally, an individual household makes an ofrenda in the home for departed ancestors. For our ofrenda, area schoolchildren participating in Museum programs will make decorations and add images of relatives or other people who have been important in their lives. |
The Spurlock Museum is pleased to be collaborating with Verde Gallery, Champaign Public Library, and Urbana Free Library to provide a broad range of public events and activities in celebration of Latin American arts and culture. Click here for a schedule of events.
A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico was developed by the Field Museum in collaboration with Mars, Incorporated. The exhibit opened in the Spurlock Museum's Focus Gallery on September 18th, 2004, and closes on January 3rd, 2005.
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Preparation for the exhibit include unpacking loaned artifacts and photographs, building the ofrenda, and painting the gallery walls, as seen here. |
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Skeletons on a ferris wheel.
Item courtesy of Veronica M. Kann
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The Museum wishes to thank the following collaborators for their help with the exhibit:
The Field Museum
The Verde Gallery
Urbana Free Library
Champaign Public Library
Download Schedule: schedule.doc , schedule.pdf
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