Ancient Mexican tradition at Gallery NorthwestBy Roxane Geraci | ||
| Altars decorated with symbolic items honoring deceased loved ones will be displayed through Nov. 3 during the Día de Los Muertos (Day o
f the Dead) exhibit at IU Northwest’s Gallery Northwest. The exhibit, curated by gallery director Ann Fritz and Ana Osan, assistant professor of Spanish, will show the work of community residents, IU Northwest students and faculty, and students from East
Chicago Central, Hammond and Portage high schools.
Día de Los Muertos is an ancient festival that can be traced back to the Aztec culture with Nov.1- 2 as the traditional days to celebrate, said Fritz. The first of November is known as “Night of the Angels,” and it is believed that on this day, the spiri ts of infants and children are reunited with loved ones. It is also believed that the next day, deceased adults come back to visit their families. Depending on the region, the way Día de Los Muertos is celebrated varies. In urban areas, festivities tend t o be more of a social event, while persons living in rural areas may place more of an emphasis on the religious/spiritual aspects of the holiday. As with the Gallery Northwest exhibition, the altars with symbolic items are constructed by the living for the dead. They are traditionally in three tiers and decorated with colored paper. Purple represents pain, white represents hope and pink symbolizes celebration. Photographs and personal belongings are added to personalize the altars. According to Fritz, other symbolic items on the altar may include candles that are burned “to light the way for the return of the dead,” three candy skulls that repres ent the Holy Trinity and burning incense used to repel unwanted spirits. Special sweet bread (pan de muertos) is often offered along with the favorite foods of the deceased, and soap, water, and towels are left for the souls to cleanse themselves. “There are no right or wrong ways of constructing an altar. These are only ideas of what traditional altars are like. There are no rules to follow as long as the altar’s objects are symbolic of the departed person,” said Fritz, who added that the “unique ness” of the altars at Gallery Northwest’s exhibit range from those made from cigar boxes to one made from a riding lawnmower in memory of the artist’s grandfather who had great passion for his yard and mower. In celebration of Día de Los Muertos, IU Northwest will build an altar with contributions from the campus and community. Individuals wanting to participate should bring in a photograph of a deceased loved one (human or animal), and a non-perishable food i tem, animal food or a toy. The food and toys will be distributed to northwest Indiana families for Thanksgiving. Instead of an opening reception, Gallery Northwest will be the site of a Day of the Dead celebration on Nov. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. Open to the community, the event will include entertainment by Mariachi Acero, a presentation by Osan and refreshments. | |
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Publication date: October 13, 2000
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