This week brings one of the library's favorite programs, the annual celebration of the Latin American observance Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos.) Since 2002, Dr. Eric Vaccarella has assigned his students the task of researching this tradition and of constructing a ceremonial altar (ofrenda) in honor of someone who has passed away. As in recent years, students are building their altars to persons of Mexican or Mexican-American heritage. This year's honorees are:
Cuauhtémoc (ca. 1500-1525) – Last Aztec Empire
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695) – Poet and advocate for women’s equality
Antonio López de Santa Anna (1791-1876) – Mexican president, political leader, and soldier
José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) – Popular artist and cartoonist
Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919) – Revolutionary
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) – Painter
Diego Rivera (1886-1957) – Painter and Muralist
Remedios Varo (1913-1963) – Painter
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (1971-1995) – Singer
Ricardo Montalbán (1920-2009) – Actor
Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012) – Writer and Nobel Prize winner
The library is hosting the display and dedication of the altars on our ground floor. This year's display includes artifacts from Dr. Vaccarella's personal collection, as well as selections from the library's new Day of the Dead bookshelf.
The campus community is invited to attend as Dr. Vaccarella's SPN 201 students present their work during regular class times this Friday, October 31 from 10:00-10:50 and 11:00-11:50. Refreshments, including the traditional Bread of the Dead (Pan de Muerto,) will be served. For those who cannot join us this Friday, don't worry! The altars will remain on display through Friday, November 7.
This year's celebration is sponsored by Carmichael Library and the College of Arts and Sciences.
No comments:
Post a Comment