For two weeks near the end of October, ace/121 Gallery welcomed the public to contribute to a community altar designed by resident and curator CandyJoe Dahlstrom or create their own to honor loved ones who have passed.

“Write a note, bring copies of photographs, mementos and fall food offerings to place on our communal Day of the Dead altar, or construct your own altar in the gallery.”

The following public programs were hosted in the gallery in 2018:

Film Screening + Lecture: “Dias de los Muertos and the Welcoming Cemetery” with Dr. Wendy Fonarow, PhD

This talk gave insight into Mexican practices around Dias de Los Muertos. Dia de los Muertos is often thought of as equivalent to Halloween, but the traditions are dramatically different. The evening’s screening and discussion allowed attendees to think critically about our own assumptions about the dead that are reflected in American Halloween practices.
 

Over the course of the installation, the gallery hosted a series of workshops (sugar skulls, paper marigolds and a storytime + crafts afternoon on October 31st) in anticipation of Glendale’s celebration downtown.

 As a continuation of Glendale’s celebration and a procession that ended at the gallery, ace/121 hosted an Evening of Remembrance, an event of offerings of poetry, dance and music with open time for members of the community to share words about friends and family who have passed on.