Dia De Los Muertos
Ricardo Favela
Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF)
Silkscreen, 1976
Sacramento, California (USA)
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead is a holiday that dates to pre-conquest times and is celebrated on November 1st through November 2nd, predominantly in Mexico and other Latin American and Caribbean countries. During this period, the spirits of the dead are believed to return to be with their families and loved ones.
To welcome them, their families build altars at home or in cemeteries, adorned with cempazúchitls, or Aztec/Mexican marigolds They also have candles to light their way home, photos of the deceased and offerings such as food or drinks. These gifts and offerings are left to communicate that although loved ones have left this world, they are always in the hearts of those they left behind. In some places families spend time at the cemetery with loved ones, bringing food and drinks along for a picnic. Día De Los Muertos is a time of joy for families since they are surrounded by those they love—both living and dead.
As we approach the beginning of Día de los Muertos, we at CSPG remember the following friends, supporters, and artists whose contributions and vision have inspired CSPG’s work. The following are those we have lost since our 30th anniversary in 2019. To honor their memory, we pledge to continue their commitment to a better world.
Ed Asner (1929 - 2021) | Ariana Manov (1946 - 2020) |
John Baldessari (1931 - 2020) | Elizabeth Martinez (1925 - 2021) |
Jay Belloli (1944 - 2021) | Isa-Kae Meksin (1928 - 2022) |
Kay Brown (1935 - 2022) | Karen McClellan (1946 - 2022) |
Elaine Budin (1933 - 2021) | John Otterbridge (1933 - 2020) |
Joe Csapo (194? - 2021) | Ed Pearl (1932 - 2021) |
Jed Dannenbaum (1947 - 2021) | Zena Pearlstone (1941 - 2021) |
Stuart J. Dicker (1945 - 2021) | Sandra Pettit (1936 - 2022) |
Roger Dittmann (1932 - 2019) | James Prigoff (1927 - 2021) |
Betty Lou Einstein (1920 - 2020) | Carol Smith - NY (1941 - 2022) |
Leo Frumkin (1928 - 2022) | Beatriz María Solís (1962 - 2020) |
Lila Garrett (1925 - 2020) | Rhoda Shapiro (1931 - 2022) |
Marvin A. Gluck (1933 - 2021) | John August Swanson (1938 - 2021) |
Davoud Ismaili (1936 - 2020) | M. Carmen Ramirez (1948 - 2022) |
Frieda Klein (1936 - 2022) | Tomi Ungerer (1931 - 2019) |
Samella Lewis (1923 - 2022) | Esteban Villa (1930 - 2022) |
Alita Zurav Letwin (1932 - 2022) | Sabina Virgo (1943 - 2020) |
Yolanda Lopez (1942 - 2021) |
For all of them we say
¡Presente!
If you are in the Los Angeles area, join Self Help Graphics & Art in celebrating Día De Los Muertos this weekend on Saturday, November 5th for altars, live music and a Día de Los Muertos themed exhibition.
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