Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present our annual Honoring Our Ancestors Day of the Dead exhibition.

Aleka Corwin, Anne Brace, Cat Bolivar, Charlotte Hildebrand, Children’s Hospital Substance Use Prevention & Treatment Leaders of Los Angeles (L.O.L.A.), Dolores Udave, Gloria Vasquez-Warner, Hembert Guardado, Jessica Ceballos y Campbell, Jose Lozano, Lola Cruz, Melora Walters, Miguel Olivares, Milton Jurado, Mita Cuaron, Raoul De la Sota, Rebecca Guerrero, Richard Gomez, Rigoberto Soltero, Steven Correa, Susanna Urquiza, and Victoria Arriola.

Día de los Muertos is a Mexican traditional holiday in which families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives. It’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolve for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration. It is not a Mexican version of Halloween, though the two holidays do share some traditions, including costumes and parades. This celebration is a blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion and Spanish culture:

In pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, the ritual of honoring the dead goes back over 3000 years. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl people held a cyclical view of the universe and saw death as an integral, ever-present part of life.

In ancient Europe, pagan celebrations of the dead also took place in the fall, and consisted of bonfires, dancing and feasting.

In medieval Spain, people would bring wine and pan de ánimas (spirit bread) to the graves of their loved ones; they would also cover graves with flowers and light candles to illuminate the dead souls’ back to their homes on Earth.
We would love for you to participate.