Arte de Inspiración: Dia de los Muertos 2024

Oct. 12 – Nov. 17, 2024

A journey through life, love and death, Arte de Inspiración: Día de los Muertos 2024 (Inspirational Art: Day of the Dead 2024) features contemporary altars and artwork by artists from Sacramento, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area.

Opening at the Museum’s Día de los Muertos Fiesta 2024 on Saturday, Oct. 12, 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 John Hancock and Juan Ramos, Adrian Arias, and RAH Azul, whose altars are dedicated to notable Californians who have inspired their artistic practice: labor activist Larry Itliong and artists and activists René Yáñez and Yolanda López.

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.