CALIFORNIA MUSEUM, EL ARTE DE LAS ALMAS: DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS 2019

October 11 – December 15, 2019

Opening at the California Museum’s Día de los Muertos Fiesta on Fri., Oct. 11, “El Arte de las Almas: Día de los Muertos 2019” (“The Art of Souls: Day of the Dead 2019”) is a new exhibit featuring original art and contemporary altar installations by California artists including Oscar Magallanes, John S. Huerta and Raul Mejia.

A journey through life, love and death, the exhibit explores the Mexican cultural tradition of honoring deceased loved ones each year on November 1 and 2 by displaying 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.

Members of the public are also invited to remember a lost loved one in the exhibit’s Community Altar.

Levitt Pavilion Calendar Cover

When I was 15 I started driving out to LA from Azusa. I had just been accepted into Ryman Arts. At the time classes where held at the original Otis campus which is across the street from Macarthur Park. That campus is now Charles White Elementary. For a year and a half I received art instruction by some amazing artist as well as having guest artist like Kent Twitchell stopping by. It was the first time I had any art instruction and the first time someone told me I could be an artist. This along with my first real venturing into the city and especially into the Westlake area in the early 90’s would make it one of the most pivotal times of my life.

So when the great folks over at the Levitt Pavilion asked me to design their calendar cover I immediately said yes. Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park is a 501c3. Founded in 2007 to restore the historic band shell in MacArthur Park and present 50 free summer concerts annually in order to make live music and the arts accessible to all.

Here is a preview of the calendar.