INDIANAPOLIS — Celebrate Día de Muertos at the Eiteljorg Museum from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. On a FREE admission day filled with lively music and dances from several performance groups, you can admire the stunning outfits of the Catrina parade, explore art-making activities, shop in the mercado (marketplace) from local vendors, and learn about the cultural traditions of Day of the Dead. Bring family and friends for an uplifting day of remembering loved ones who have passed. The Eiteljorg has partnered with Arte Mexicano en Indiana and other groups to present the free Día de Muertos Community Celebration.
While taking in sights and sounds of the free Día de Muertos Community Celebration, experience two related exhibitions. At 12:15 p.m. on Oct. 24, join a bilingual spotlight tour of Consejo Grafico Nacional: Latino Printmakers in the United States, presented in both English and Spanish. A second spotlight tour will take place at 3:15 p.m. Featuring prints by artists who are affiliated with an independent coalition of workshops called talleres, the exhibition includes a wide variety of printmaking techniques and visual styles. Tours are led by artist Andie Arana Gomez, curatorial advisor for the exhibition, and Laura Fry, museum vice president of curatorial and collections.
Also, spend quality time in the Día de Muertos Community Art and Altars Exhibit, open daily through Nov. 2 in the Lilly Community Gallery. Local groups created ornate, poignant ofrendas, or altars, to remember deceased loved ones and iconic personalities. Check out the butterfly-themed altar honoring Dolly Parton.
Dia de Muertos is traditionally celebrated on November 1-2, and involves family and friends gathering to pay respects to loved ones who have died. The festival is widely celebrated in Mexico and among many of Mexican descendent all over the world. Among the traditions are honoring the deceased with calaveras and marigold flowers, building home altars (ofrendas) with favorite food and beverages of the deceased, and telling stories of their lives. The living are given gifts such as sugar skulls and other foods, and family and friends write light-hearted verses in the form of mock epitaphs (calaveras literarias).
