Held in East Arlington on Sunday, November 1, 4-6 pm, Capitol Square's Day of the Dead festival will showcase a variety of elements of the holiday, including tastings from Acitrón Cocina Mexicana, Menotomy Grill and a strolling Mariachi.
As our gallery manager, Michelle Garcia, is a Latina from Los Angeles who grew up celebrating the holiday, 13FOREST will be highlighting the personal nature of Día de los Muertos as it's typically enjoyed with family or friends at home. We've built a traditional altar, plan to serve Mexican pan de muertos, and will focus on works at the gallery that revolve around personal history, ritual, and memory.
The real joy of Day of the Dead is bringing friends and family back from the grave into our world to celebrate with them. Unlike funerals or death anniversaries when the dead are deeply mourned, the holiday is clearly not meant to be a sad event.
In addition to a non-Western view of death, Day of the Dead also deals with identity and family history and how these elements dictate personal narrative, actions, and decisions.
A preview of the traditional Day of the Dead altar built by 13FOREST Gallery manager, Michelle Garcia, honoring her grandmother Susana Gusi.