In Your Neighborhood: TAM Offers Free Salute to "Dia de los Muertos" November 2 at Community Festival

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

TAM Offers Free Salute to "Dia de los Muertos" November 2 at Community Festival

What a thrill to discover that a full scale festival with all the trimmings shown here saluting "Dia de los Muertos" at the Tacoma Art Museum will be mounted this coming Sunday, November 2, from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.

The FREE celebration is geared for family members of all ages and features live music, dancers, art, food and fun as a presentation by Centro Latino and the Tacoma Art Museum, with support from Proyecto MoLE-Movimiento Latino Estudiantil.

Above left: Tapete (sand painting) designed by Fulgencio Lazo in the lobby at Tacoma Art Museum sets the stage for the free festivities saluting "Dia de los Muertos". Photos copyright 2008 by Mizu Sugimura.

The simply gorgeous and compelling tapete (sand painting) by artist Fulgencio Lazo, multiple artist assistants and student volunteers which covers a good part of the main floor at the entry to the museum is a stunning and compelling labor of love.

The highly vibrant and radiant work meant to honor those friends and relatives who have died is usually created in the cemetery with donated sand brought in by loved ones.

The design is inscribed on a base of one inch of sand and then colored with powdered poster paint. Visitors are sure to be both impressed and touched by the clever and creative usage of ordinary materials.

In a period of economic downsizing, the displays serve not only as a different perspective of death but an equally eloquent and gentle reminder to those of us in the outside communities that it will not be the lavish spending which shows others our love for those who have passed.

But instead it's the caring energy that we living bring to salute their memory that enables them to stay alive within our minds and hearts.

Below: Partial view of memorial altars featured at the Tacoma Art Museum's exhibit honoring "Dia de los Muertos". Photo copyright 2008 by Mizu Sugimura.

1 comment:

Stephanie Frieze said...: What a wonderful post and great information, Mizu! I shared it with my children this morning and hope that we can go and take it in. We like things we can do for FREE and the arts are always food for the soul!; October 30, 2008 at 9:06 AM

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Stephanie Frieze

Stephanie Frieze
…has always liked to write. Her experience includes three years at the University Washington School of Communications studying journalism. She had a stint at the Chinook Observer in Long Beach. Raised in Bellevue, she’s lived in Gig Harbor for nearly 18 years. She and her husband have a home in Ilwaco, where they spend as much time as possible. This mother of four loves books, spending time with family and the color purple. Contact her at dbandstefery@comcast.net.

Lorraine Hart
…was born a nomadic mutt. She spent her life observing, writing and making music. She’s an unabashed carrier of the titles “hippie,” “feminist” and “liberal.” She’s resided in the South Sound since 1996 and is currently living above Joe’s Bay in Home. She juggles her time between being a caregiver, a writer, an artist, a musician, a minister, a wife, a mother, an advocate, a friend and a pilgrim – not necessarily in that order. Contact her at matlox@cablespeed.com.

Jaynie Jones
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...is a blog contributor from Greenwater. Greenwater is the last stop before Crystal Mountain, Mount Rainier and the surrounding wilderness areas. When not exploring the next mountain peak or forest trail, Tracy also contributes to the Greenwater Community Council and the Explore-Greenwater.com web site. He writes about topics ranging from favorite foot, bike, and snow trails to community events, local merchants and politics. Contact him at dmountains@explore-greenwater.com.

Joseph McGowan
…is a chaplain who supports patients, families, friends, nurses and doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Being 67, he’s learned this about living: Meet people on their own ground and you will discover that this Earth is our special place to meet and support each other. His motto: Live now. Share yourself now. Every living thing you experience is a pure gift. Love all life unconditionally. Contact him at mcg9940@yahoo.com.

Mizu Sugimura
…is a third-generation Japanese American living in Federal Way. She’s married and a parent of one adult child. A lifelong resident of the Puget Sound area, she graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Washington School of Communications. and served on Federal Way’s Diversity and Art Commissions. Her interests are politics, art, the history of minorities in Washington and family history. She’s written a self-published family history about her paternal grandfather. Contact her at mizusugi@yahoo.com.

Kim Thompson
…is a Grit City native who was born and raised in Tacoma’s Old Town neighborhood by the gulch. She boasts that she’s a former Lowell Leopard, Mason Mustang and Wilson Ram, a short-time PLU Lute and a longtime UW Husky. This former corporate businesswoman is a wife, a mom, a school volunteer, a substitute teaching assistant, a writer and a born-again distance runner. She has convinced friends from Bellevue that Tacoma is worth the drive. Contact her at kimricksy@comcast.net. ugi@yahoo.com.