Día de los Muertos Interactive Altar Workshop

Date and Time for this Past Event

Wednesday, Oct 27, 2021 7-8:30 PM

Location

Details

People remember their loved ones who have passed in different ways; maybe it’s through keeping a photograph of them on their desk, or playing their favorite song, or placing flowers on their grave.

For those who celebrate Día de los Muertos, constructing ofrendas (altars) help celebrate the legacies of family, friends, and ancestors. The personalities of deceased individuals blend with longstanding traditions, and items such as cempasúchil (marigolds), velas (candles), calaveras (skulls), favorite food, and personal effects of the dead are included in ofrendas. Ofrenda construction bring people together to remember the joy, humor, and impact their loved ones brought to the world.

Want to learn more about the history and practice of Día de los Muertos altars? Join the Idaho State Museum and instructors Ana Maria Schachtell and Fonda Portales for an interactive Altar Workshop on Wednesday, October 27th from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Participants are encouraged to bring a small item that represents a loved one to include on the workshop altar.

Admission is free and open to the public, register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dia-de-los-muertos-interactive-altar-workshop-tickets-188543377317

More about the instructors:

Ana Maria Schachtell came to Idaho from Mexico via California in 1974. She spearheaded the creation of the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho in Nampa and created educational programs including the Stay-in-School Quinceanera Program. She was the project director of two historical books: “Jesus Urquides: Idaho’s Premier Muleteer,” by Max Delgado published in 2006 and “Nuestros Corridos: Latinos in Idaho - Idaho Latino History through Song & Word -1863 – 2013” published in 2014. She led Friends of Jesus Urquides to establish the “Memorial to Jesus Urquides & Spanish Village” in 2013.

As the University Art Curator and Collections Manager at Boise State University, Fonda Portales manages the permanent art collection, curates the Student Union Building galleries, and directs campus art commissions. She previously taught Art History as Adjunct Faculty in the BSU Art Department, as well as served as Director of Development and Public Education at the ACLU of Idaho and Resident Artist at the archaeological site of Urkesh, in Mozan, Syria, where she established an on-site museum. Her academic focus is on the transcultural iconography of Mesoamerican and Spanish influence.