Day of the Dead Altars and Ephemera show opens Oct. 10 at the Folk Tree in Pasadena

The 26th Annual Day of the Dead Altars and Ephemera Exhibition is on view at The Folk Tree from October 10 - November 7, 2009. The show features traditional and other altars as well as related work by local artists and Mexican folk art commemorating this major holiday. The public is invited to a reception on Saturday, October 10, from 2 - 6 P.M.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which falls on November 1 and 2, is a Mexican holiday honoring the dead. Ritualized worship of the dead has been practiced in Mexico since at least 1800 B.C. The modern holiday is a combination of pre-Hispanic and Catholic influences. Day of the Dead participants prepare elaborate feasts and create altars paying homage to the dead, and they indulge in festive celebrations of life and its aftermath. A time of reflection as well, the holiday has inspired a rich folk art tradition.

In honor of these dates, The Folk Tree annually invites area artists to assemble altars for people or events of significance to them. Highly personal, these altars often include photographs and other mementos, letters, candles and offerings of food. In addition to lost loved ones, in the past artists have created altars for victims of tragedies and violence, for well-known figures who have died, as well as for family pets.

Several artists have participated regularly over the years. Carolyn Potter, who pays homage to family members, has been a participant since the exhibit’s inception and incorporates her gourd and polymer clay art into her altar. Johanna Hansen uses her painted narrative ceramics in altars commemorating her son and mother. Nancy Ann Jones’ altar is interactive - visitors are invited to write their own messages and tributes. And, this year, artist Patricia Krebs will commemorate brave women throughout history in her altar. A Pasadena public middle school and Jewish day school have also been invited to create group altars.
Related work is on view by approximately forty artists, including watercolors by Esau Andrade, mosaic skulls by Mary Clark Camargo, cast bronze by Tamara Hensick, paintings by Rennie Rau Marquez, Felipe Davalos and Robert Palacios, and metal sculpture by Robert Moore. Also featured is jewelry focusing on Day of the Dead motifs by Alba Heredia, Deanna Jacobsen, and Lisa Rocha.

Mexican folk art objects created for the Day of the Dead are sold in the streets throughout Mexico in the weeks preceding the holiday. Many examples of these items are available at The Folk Tree. They are often made of clay, papier maché, tin and sugar. Those forms most commonly found are skeletons and skulls, often decorated to include a person's name, or placed in little vignettes. Mexico's artists express their creativity in various media in wonderfully humorous ways.

The Folk Tree is located at 217 South Fair Oaks Avenue, minutes walking distance from the Gold Line’s Del Mar station, and just south of Old Pasadena. Hours are: M-W, 11-6; Th-Sat, 10-6; Sun, 12-5. For more information, call 626/795-8733 or 626/793-4828. www.folktree.com