Arte Activista: Día de los Muertos 2023

Oct. 13 – Nov. 26, 2023

A journey through life, love and death, Arte Activista: Día de los Muertos 2023 (Activist Art: Day of the Dead 2023) features contemporary altars and artwork by artists representing the 3B Collective, a Los Angeles-based group of Indigenous, African American and Chicano artists and designers.

Opening at the Museum’s Día de los Muertos Fiesta 2023 on Fri., Oct. 13, the annual exhibit explores the Mexican cultural tradition of honoring deceased loved ones each year on November 1 and 2 by creating calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls), altares de muertos (altars of the dead) and ofrendas (offerings), which has evolved from the Aztecs to modern day Mexico and California. This year’s exhibit features the work of artists Aaron Douglas Estrada, Fredo Diaz, Oscar Magallanes, Alexa Ramirez, Jackie Castillo and Susan Aparicio, whose altars are dedicated to Chicano artist and magazine founder David Holland (“Teen Angel”), radio DJ Art Laboe, lowrider artist Jesse Valadez, singer Jenni Rivera and artist Laura Aguilar. 

Members of the public are also invited to honor friends and family members who have passed with a remembrance in the exhibit’s accompanying Community Altar. Optional templates can be downloaded ahead of time or created on site using materials at the Museum’s craft station. Photocopies of photos are encouraged; any items left on the altar will not be returned.