El Dia de los Muertos Celebration

HONOR THE MEMORY OF ANCESTORS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT THE ROCKWELL MUSEUM'S "El Dia de los Muertos" CELEBRATION

October 23, 2008

CORNING, NY - The public is invited to the Rockwell Museum of Western Art on Sunday, October 26 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. for a celebration of El Dia de los Muertos. Attendees will enjoy traditional Mexican dances and an art making activity. The program is free of charge. Seating is limited.

El Dia de los Muertos is a festival of "welcome" for the souls of the dead. The celebration is prepared and enjoyed by the living and honors those who have passed. The customs surrounding this celebration are based on ancient traditions traced to the Aztec civilization in Mexico. The belief is that the souls of the deceased return each year to enjoy, for a few brief hours, the pleasures they once knew in life. Today, this celebration combines Native American and European customs and is primarily practiced among Hispanic, Mestizo and indigenous peoples from the American Southwest to South America.

Rockwell Museum of Western Art
Sunday, October 26, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Admission is Free

Traditional Mexican dances presented by Ensamble Infantil Azteca and Garcia's Mexican Dance with traditional Mexican music by Voces y Guitarras Latinas

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Performance
Visions of the West Gallery

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Paper flower making
Education Center

During the month of October, Middle School Spanish students from the Corning-Painted Post Area School District, Elmira City School District and the Chemung Valley Montessori School created decorative objects for El Dia de los Muertos altar that is installed in the Museum's Education Gallery. The Museum's Education Department is in its seventh year of partnering with area schools and Spanish teachers in this special program. The Museum's program integrates cultural traditions with classroom education and creates an opportunity for students to connect an artistic experience with traditional learning.

The El Dia de los Muertos altar will be on display in the Museum's Education Gallery through November 23, 2008. The public is encouraged to visit the Rockwell Museum of Western Art and view the traditional altar. The Museum is Free on the 30th of each month, and offers a discounted local resident admission rate. As always, Kids & Teens are FREE (19 & under). The Museum is open every day from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

In general, an altar like that featured in the Museum's exhibit, would be built in a family's home and would be an integral part of the celebration. A typical altar has candles and favorite foods of the deceased. People might also place meaningful, personal objects on the altar that belonged to the deceased. Other items found on the altars are zempasuchils or marigolds (the floral symbol of death), paper maché pieces, images of saints, sugar skulls, and Pan de los Muertos (Bread of the Dead). Calaveras or skeletons are widely associated with Day of the Dead and their images are common during this time of year. These paper maché or clay skeletons are often displayed doing daily activities in order to demonstrate the wit and humor of the deceased; their liveliness also reminds us of the longevity of the soul.