TransLingua is proud to announce that we have partnered up for the third year in a row with the Longmont Museum to provide Spanish translation at the 2016 El Día de los Muertos Exhibit.
People of all cultures honor the memories of their ancestors. In many parts of Mexico, South America, and the United States, El Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a time to honor and celebrate deceased loved ones. Community participation is an essential part of this holiday that is full of life, reflection, food, family and fun.
Longmont’s annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration is the Longmont Museum’s signature event and the largest Day of the Dead celebration in Colorado, attracting more than 6,000 people to the exhibit, family event and related programming. The celebration demonstrates how a diverse community can come together to share a common desire – to honor our ancestors and keep their memories alive.
October 15 – November 8, free admission
The Dia de los Muertos exhibition will be in the Swan Atrium, a two-story space full of light in our new addition, this year. It will showcase original artwork by local artists Carlos Fresquez and Francisco Zamora. Carlos Fresquez Salón de ilegales/Salon of Illegals is a mixed media installation of various landscape paintings and prints. Fresquez has dismantled familiar images of idyllic American landscapes by inserting the running family from “Illegal Immigrant Crossing” signs used in southwestern border states into each scene. It reminds us to account for the countless immigrants who cross deserts and rivers to survive. “The landscapes presented here display a range of the U.S. soil painted by unknown individuals.” Fresquez said in his statement describing his work. "Having painted the running family into someone else's landscape, I 'illegally' place a representation of the Mexican into their Utopia."
Altars for the dead, created by members of the community, will also be a central part of the exhibit.
Day of the Dead Exhibition Tours
Curator Conversations
Tuesdays, October 18 and 25 and November 1 at Noon, free admission
Join a Longmont Museum Curator for a guided tour of the exhibition.
Bilingual Tours
Saturdays, October 22 and 29, 1 pm and 2:30 pm, free admission
Enjoy a free tour of the Día de los Muertos exhibition with bilingual tour guide Laura Zavala. Laura will tell you about the ancient Mayan and Aztec origins of the celebration, how it blended with Spanish Catholic traditions and how it became a part of our local culture here in Longmont!
Day of the Dead Family Celebration
Saturday, November 5, 11 am - 3 pm, free admission
Join in the fun and enjoy live entertainment including music and dancing, sugar skull decorating, traditional food, community altars, paper flower making, face painting, Lady Catrina and more! Come dressed in your finest “calaca” (skeleton) apparel – Lady Catrina 2016 will be crowned!
