• Museums

    El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)

    Arizona Museum of Natural History

    October 8-November 2, 2005

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    The Mesa Southwest Museum will host a month-long display of altars in honor of the tradition of El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). Three altars constructed by local artist Virginia Agûero that pay tribute to the dead will be on exhibit throughout the museum. The Day of the Dead is a ritual the indigenous people of Mexico have been practicing for more than 3,000 years. It is still celebrated in Mexico as well as certain parts of the United States and Central America. Native Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations viewed death as the continuation of life rather than the end. In the United States and certain parts of Mexico it is traditional for families to build in home altars dedicated to the dead. They place flowers, food, pictures of the deceased and lighted candles around the altars. Many Valley cities host Day of the Dead celebrations each year on the first two days of November. People will sometimes don wooden skull masks and dance to honor deceased loved ones. The wooden skulls, or calacas, are also placed on altars. A relative or a friend often eats sugar skulls, bearing the name of the dead person on the forehead. The first altar on exhibit in the Museum is sponsored by the Consulado General de México en Phoenix, Carlos Flores Vizcarra. The three-level altar commemorates the Mexican migrants who have passed away while attempting to cross the US/Mexico border. The second altar is dedicated to the artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) who was born into a peasant family in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Posada's lithographic images of skeletal figures or 'calaveras' became a reflection of Mexico's social classes and the public's disenchantment with Porfiro Diaz' corrupt regime. The altar celebrates Posada's life and those he continues to inspire to this day. Accompanying this altar will be a number of Posada's prints. The third, a traditional Day of the Dead altar honors the founding fathers of southwestern Paleontology; George Gaylord Simpson, John Lance, Edwin (Ned) Colbert, John White and Will Downs and their accomplishments and contributions to the field of paleontology.

    • Ticket Info

      Tickets: $8/Adults, $7/Seniors 65 and older, $6/Students 12 and older with ID, $4/Children ages 3-12, Free/Children ages 2 and younger

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    • Dates & Times

      Dates:
      October 8-November 2, 2005

      Times:
      Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 1:00pm-5:00pm

    • Venue Info

      Arizona Museum of Natural History

      53 North Macdonald Mesa, AZ 85201

      Full map and directions

    • Regions

      Mesa

    • Accessibility Info

    • NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

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