Jana Weston, Flora (detail), 2000. Acrylic paint with mixed media.

The Oakland Museum of California celebrates Days of the Dead, the colorful Latino/Chicano tradition of honoring the dead, with Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts: Días de los Muertos 2006. The exhibition, organized by guest curator Carol Marie Garcia, opens Wednesday, October 11, and is on view through Sunday, December 3, 2006.

The highlight of the museum’s Days of the Dead festivities is the free Community Celebration, Sunday, October 22, noon–4 p.m., throughout the museum. There will be craft activities, food, music and dance performances, ceremonia (opening procession), and a mercado (market).

Kay Weber, Hel,1998. Cut-paper, 4’ x 8’

Curator Garcia’s vision for the museum 13th annual Days of the Dead exhibition unifies the life and death aspects of the tradition.

“Imagine Death to be a watchful eye that sees both the living and the dead,” Garcia said. “Looking toward the dead, Death sees laughing bones that are happy to be liberated. Glancing toward the living, Death sees weeping hearts that are sad for the loss of loved ones.”

Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts features ofrendas from 13 Bay Area artists (bios attached), who chose to work with one aspect of Garcia’s theme. She also recruited Hayward artist Fernando Hernandez, who created The Columbarium, a collaborative installation with East Bay schools and community groups that provides a place for people to gather and remember. The students and volunteers used colored tissue paper to create small niches that when backlit simulate a columbarium’s stained glass windows.

Garcia created a double spiral labyrinth for the exhibition, a symbolic walk of life: one path is lined with shoes from the living; the other with shoes from those who have passed. Both entrances to the labyrinth will be marked with sand paintings by Calixto Robles, who was inspired by the ritual carpets of Oaxaca used as pathways for religious processions and funerary offerings.

The museum offers five Days of the Dead programs during the run of the exhibition:

The 13th Annual Community Celebration for Days of the Dead
Sunday, October 22
12–4 pm
Museum gardens

Features craft activities, demonstrations, food, music, dance, ceremonia, and a mercado. Performers include Cascada de Flores, Ballet Folklorico Mexicano, La Familia Peña-Govea, Danza Xiuhcoatl, Maraiachi San Jose, and Yolanda Aranda.

Participation is free. Admission to the museum galleries, including the Days of the Dead exhibition, will be half-price all day.

Gallery Talk
Sunday, October 29
2 pm
Gallery talk with exhibition artists Joe Bastida Rodriguez and Deborah Rumer.

Teacher Feature!
Friday, November 3
4-7 pm
Free for teachers. Gallery talks by students, teachers, the East Bay Artist Collaborative and Fernando Hernández, guided tours, and more!

Gallery Talk
Sunday, November 19
2 pm
Gallery talk with exhibition artists Kay Weber and Sandra Yagi.

Gallery Talk
Sunday, November 26
2 pm
Gallery talk with exhibition artists Juan R. Fuentes, Michelle Mouton, Paul N. Smith, and Jaime Guerrero.

For information, call 510/238-2200 or visit www.museumca.org.

© 2005 Oakland Museum of California | Credits |Phone: 510-238-2200