MEDIA RELEASE
October 10, 2012
Media Contact: Lisa Terry, Public Relations and Communications Manager, 253.272.4258 x3047, lterry@TacomaArtMuseum.org
8th Annual Día de los Muertos Festival at Tacoma Art Museum
Join Thousands of Your Friends and Neighbors in Enjoying This Traditional Celebration of Life
(Tacoma, WA) – Tacoma Art Museum is partnering with Centro Latino and Proyecto MoLÉ once again to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) beginning Sunday, October 21 and culminating with a free festival Sunday, November 4. Now in its eighth year, the free festival has grown to be the museum’s largest annual community event, welcoming more than 3,700 visitors. This year, expect to see traditional art, live music and performances, food, and several hands-on art-making activities.
The festivities begin October 21 when artist Fulgencio Lazo and his team of professionals and volunteers fill the museum’s lobby with a colorful, round, floral-inspired tapete (sand painting), while community members install 27 ofrendas (altars) in the atrium. This year’s tapete is an exploration of flowers in honor of the marigolds so important to the Día de los Muertos celebration, as well as the upcoming exhibition Andy Warhol’s Flowers for Tacoma, opening November 3.
The colorful ofrendas and tapete will remain on view through Sunday, November 4, when the Día de los Muertos celebrations take over the entire museum as part of a free community festival. Friends and neighbors will join together to create and enjoy Latin American art and culture from 10 am to 4 pm as we honor the cycle of life. Along with free admission to the museum, visitors will be able to meet with tapete artist Fulgencio Lazo, dance to live music from Tacoma’s Mariachi Ayutla, see a performance by the Aztec dance group Grupo Quetzalcoatl de Olympia, decorate sugar skulls, stencil and paint a terracotta pot, and join teen volunteers from Proyecto MoLÉ on the outdoor plaza in a tent filled with fun activities and items to purchase.
“For the last eight years, Día de los Muertos has grown astonishingly in popularity and size.” said Stephanie A. Stebich, Director of Tacoma Art Museum. “This is a favorite annual event for all of Tacoma that connects us across cultures.”
Día de los Muertos is an ancient celebration of the eternal cycle of life. Today, the holiday combines centuries of indigenous practices with contemporary traditions and spiritual beliefs. Observed in Mexican and other Latin American communities on November 1 and 2 (All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day), Día de los Muertos is a powerful, symbolic way to honor relatives and friends who have died. The holiday conveys the belief that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life.
Schedule of Día de los Muertos Events at Tacoma Art Museum
- Día de los Muertos Exhibition Installation
Sunday, October 21, 10 am-5 pm
Artist Fulgencio Lazo and his team of professionals and volunteers will create two large tapetes (sand paintings) in the museum’s lobby while community members install altars remembering loved ones and raising social awareness. Free with museum admission. - Ale ‘n’ Altars
Thursday Ignite, October 25, 5:30pm
Learn about the history and culture of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) as celebrated in Oaxaca, Mexico, and create your own personalized skeleton figurine, or calaca, honoring a beloved family member or pet. Toast the cycle of life and death with jovial libations at this fun and festive workshop. Cost: $35 ($25 for members) includes all art supplies, light Mexican fare, and a beer sampler.
· Create a Día de los Muertos Bracelet with The Bead Factory
Thursday Ignite, November 1, 6 pm
Join Tacoma Art Museum and The Bead Factory to create a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) bracelet. Explore our collection of nearly 200 jewelry works, the tapete installation (sand painting), and community altars, and make your own Día de los Muertos inspired bracelet. Cost: $30 ($20 for members), includes admission and all materials. to register.
· Día de los Muertos Free Community Festival
Sunday, November 4, 10 am-4 pm
For the eighth consecutive year, join your friends and neighbors to celebrate Día de los Muertos at Tacoma Art Museum with art-making, performances, exhibitions of community altars and two large tapetes as we honor the cycle of life. Museum admission free.
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About Centro Latino
Centro Latino’s mission is to create an environment in which the rapidly growing Latino community has opportunities allowing them to participate in and contribute to the success of Pierce County. Learn more at www.CLatino.org.
About Proyecto MoLÉ
An initiative of Northwest Leadership Foundation, Proyecto MoLÉ provides youth in grades K-16 with opportunities that promote academic achievement, positive personal development, and pride in culture and community. The core components of MoLÉ are its after-school tutoring and support services. Initially started as a program to serve predominately Latino youth, MoLÉ's participants speak 11 different languages and represent 15 different countries. Learn more at www.northwestleadership.org.
About Tacoma Art Museum
Tacoma Art Museum connects people and builds community through art. The museum serves the diverse communities of the region through its collection, exhibitions, and learning programs, emphasizing art and artists from the Northwest. The museum’s five galleries display an array of major national shows, the best of Northwest art, creatively themed exhibitions, and historical retrospectives. In addition, there is an Education Wing for children, adults, and seniors with an art resource center, classroom, and studio for art making.
HOURS – Wednesdays–Sundays 10 am–5 pm, Thursday Ignite 5 pm–8 pm
ADMISSION – Adult $10, Student/Military/Senior (65+) $8, Family $25 (2 adults and up to 4 children under 18). Children 5 and under free. Third Thursdays free from 5-8 pm. Members always free.
CONTACT – 253.272.4258, www.TacomaArtMuseum.org, info@TacomaArtMuseum.org
