Día de los Muertos Exhibit

The artwork focuses on the Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead holiday, which blends the ancient harvest rituals of the Aztec god of death and the Roman Catholic holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days. Far from a somber holiday, Día de los Muertos is a playful celebration. In the words of Mexican poet Octavio Paz: “The Mexican frequents it [death], jokes about it, sleeps with it, and celebrates it. It is one of his favorite toys and most steadfast love.”

The practice of creating ofrendas is an essential part of the holiday. The ofrendas are intended to please the spirits of the dead who are believed to return briefly to the land of the living on November 1 and 2. Among the five ofrendas in the 2025 exhibit is an ofrenda by the “Daughters of Aging Mothers,” a group of seven women who supported their mothers through the aging process. Their ofrenda, titled “It’s About Love,” is dedicated to their deceased mothers and celebrates their own connection as a group over the years.

Eugene mixed-media artist and fine art photographer Sandy Brown Jensen displays two pieces in this year’s exhibit, each representing what she calls a “visual ofrenda” dedicated to her deceased sister. Both images incorporate the vibrant symbol of marigolds, the traditional flower associated with the Día de los Muertos holiday. Her Marigold Heart and Her Spectral Heart together form a “diptych that bridges the world of the living with that of the departed, acknowledging the belief that our loved ones continue to be present in our lives.”

Eugene artist Seberiana Lopez calls her art a “rediscovery of identity and representation.” She describes her digital art piece, See You at the Altar, as a work that “looks at death through the lens of the traditions and values of the Mexican community.” A group of figures with frames for faces stand before an altar covered by a large papel picado with two bouquets of marigolds on top. Lopez finds comfort in a tradition that allows loved ones to remember and celebrate family and friends who have passed away.

Eugene fabric artist Connie Sayler made the quilt she exhibits in the 2025 exhibit after traveling to Cofradía de Suchitlán in Mexico in 2024 during the time of the Día de los Muertos celebration. Here she learned about the custom of making ofrendas and was able to honor her recently deceased father by helping to create an ofrenda in his memory. For Marigolds and Sugar Skull, Sayler uses some of the traditional imagery of the holiday, employing machine and hand quilting as well as appliqué, and adding small clay skull beads to create her colorful quilt.

Día de los Muertos activities are offered in conjunction with the exhibit. The Art Center is offering a Free Family Fun Day on November 1, from 1 – 4 pm. Family and friends are invited to come to the Center and enjoy free art activities, storytelling, and games. The Art Center is also scheduling Tours led by gallery guides who introduce K-12 students and other small groups to the artwork, altars, and the culture of the holiday. Call the Art Center to schedule.