Day of the Dead Ofrenda

Thursday, November 1, 2001—Friday, November 30, 2001
Americas Gallery
Free Exhibition

In Mexican culture, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a time to remember and honor relatives and friends who have passed away, and to recognize the cycle of life and death in human existence. Based on an ancient tradition, Day of the Dead festivities include picnics, decorating the graves of loved ones, and constructing Ofrendas, or altars.
Contemporary Mexican artist Silvia Patricia Mendoza Guzman has created an Ofrenda to honor her father, Noberto Mendoza, who died last January. The skeleton chair holds a picture of her father, and the altar around it is decorated with objects that had relevance to his life.
Guzman is a Minneapolis artist of Oaxacan descent.