This year, Grand Park’s combination of digital and public art programming takes on special meaning in addressing the stress, fear and anxiety many in our community are experiencing as a result of COVID-19 and the many inequities and injustices in our society, especially against communities of color, that the pandemic has laid bare this year,” offered Julia Diamond, director, Grand Park. “Grand Park’s Día de los Muertos accentuates and honors life by reuniting the living and the dead through remembrance. In order to maintain minimal crowds and to help those who wish to engage with this vital ritual and tradition, ample images and video of the installations are available on Grand Park, The Music Center and Self Help Graphics social media channels. Signage and markers throughout both locations assist with reinforcing the critical need for park-and plaza-goers to comply with all prevailing Los Angeles County Department of Public Health requirements. ![]() While Grand Park and The Music Center Plaza are open to the public, all park-and plaza-goers who experience the art installations are strictly required to maintain social distancing, including not clustering in groups and wearing masks. Understanding the toll the pandemic has taken on individuals and communities throughout Los Angeles, Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos also helps raise the importance of coping skills and mental health awareness: Healing Sanctuaries and Soul Survivors are two photo exhibits located on The Music Center Plaza containing messaging and suggested public resources, from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and WHY WE RISE. Grand Park has continued its long-standing artistic partnership with Self Help Graphics (SHG), which is curating 11 large-scale altar installations by artists and community partner organizations, including the annual Community Altar created by Maestra Ofelia Esparza a 2018 NEA National Heritage Fellow, Esparza, and her family, are instrumental in preserving and conserving Día de los Muertos in Los Angeles. We find solace and connection in the arts through ways that can bring us together with a shared mission to understand and appreciate each other.” “While current public health actions such as social distancing can make people feel isolated, Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos reminds us we are not alone. Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos not only preserves the cultural traditions for those who observe it, but also offers ways for all to learn from and share in its ethos,” said Josephine Ramirez, executive vice president, TMC Arts. The kit includes: instructions, one cigar box, one skeleton, one bottle of tacky glue, one container of mod podge, two tea lights, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, one sponge brush, a baggie of beads and gems, plastilina clay, and a variety of patterned and metallic papers.“Those who have passed always have special meaning in our hearts, but, this year, the loss and sorrow is collective for Angelenos and for our nation. In this kit, we provide information about the traditional elements of Dia de Los Muertos altars, some ideas on how to get started, and all of the decorations and tools you need to create a beautiful cigar box altar. ![]() There are no hard and fast rules about how your altar should be made-it can be as simple or as elaborate as your imagination and creativity allow! Making an altar (or ofrenda as it’s called in Spanish) for the occasion is a way for you to honor the life of someone who was important to you or to remember your ancestors. Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a festive and colorful holiday to celebrate our loved ones who have passed on.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |