Community Altar for Day of the Dead at the State Capitol
 In partnership with MCLA and (Neo) Muralismos de Mexico, artists M?nica Vega and Flor Soto, will create and install the first ever ?Altar de Muertos?, or Community Altar for Days of the Dead at the Minnesota State Capitol. The Altar will be on display from November 1-13, 2022.
Join us on November 1st at 10 a.m.?for a press conference followed by Mexican hot chocolate and pan de Muertos down in the Vault room.
Parking: there are park meters on Cedar Street near the Capitol, and visitor parking is available on Lot K (12th Street, east of the Veterans Service Building)? or Centennial Ramp (Orange?Level, east of the Centennial Office Building, access from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). See here.?
For registration and questions about the press conference please contact Katya Zepeda at [email protected] or 651-592-8537
For school or community group tours and to learn more about the Altar, contact (Neo) Muralismos de Mexico at [email protected]
About the Altar?
An ?Altar de Muertos? is a traditional cultural expression, spiritual/religious offering, and folk-art form that is practiced by many Mexican and Latinx communities in Minnesota and around the world to honor, remember, and celebrate the lives of our friends, kin, and community members who have passed away. Traditionally, the altar is created with crafts and memorabilia associated with Days of the Dead ? photos of deceased friends and family members, papel picado (cut tissue paper), cempas?chil flowers (marigold), offerings to the deceased (ofrendas), religious or spiritual iconography. It is a syncretic practice that combines the traditions of the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica (Nahua, Zapotec, Maya, and other indigenous communities of Mexico and Central America) with Catholic traditions around All Saints Day, as well as more recent adaptations like the Catrina (fanciful female skeleton character) and newer secular traditions. Due to its indigenous Mesoamerican origins, Days of the Dead is among the oldest holidays in the Americas that has been continually celebrated.
The altar will serve to highlight and represent the cultural traditions of Mexican and Latinx communities in Minnesota, create a space for remembrance of the many lives that have been lost in recent years (from COVID, social unrest, etc.), and also offer a space for community healing.?
At the federal level, this cultural practice is finally beginning to be accepted. In 2019, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus created a Days of the Dead altar at the U.S. Capitol dedicated to migrants who died in US custody. Last year, President Biden inaugurated the first-ever Days of the Dead altar at the White House. In 2022, this ?Altar de Muertos? will be the first-ever created at the Minnesota Capitol. As Mexicans and Latinx peoples in Minnesota, we are creating a space to have our culture and community represented at the ?people?s house? ? the Minnesota State Capitol. After a series of several years of community pain and above-average deaths, we believe it is the right time to bring greater awareness to this tradition in our home-state of Minnesota.
[Espa?ol]
En asociaci?n con MCLA y (Neo) Muralismos de M?xico, las artistas M?nica Vega y Flor Soto, crear?n e instalar?n el primer "Altar de Muertos", o altar comunitario para D?a de Muertos en el Capitolio del Estado de Minnesota. El Altar estar? en exhibici?n del 1 al 13 de noviembre.
Ven el Martes 1ro de noviembre a las 10 am para una conferencia de prensa e inauguraci?n. Tendremos chocolate y pan de muerto.
Estacionamiento: Hay parquimetros sobre Cedar Street, cerca del Capitolio. El estacionamiento se encuentra en el Lote K (12th Street, al este del Veterans Service Building) o en la rampa de Centennial (lote naranja, este?del Centennial Office Building, accediendo por el Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). Vea este sitio.
Para registrarse y preguntas sobre la conferencia de prensa, comun?quese con Katya Zepeda por correo electr?nico, [email protected] o 651-592-8537
Para visitas en grupos escolares o comunitarios para aprender m?s sobre el altar favor de comunicarse con (Neo) Muralismos de M?xico en [email protected]
Sobre el Altar
Un "Altar de Muertos" es una expresi?n cultural tradicional, una ofrenda espiritual/religiosa y una forma de arte popular que practican muchas comunidades mexicanas y latinas en Minnesota y en todo el mundo para honrar, recordar y celebrar la vida de nuestros amigos, familiares y miembros de la comunidad que han fallecido. Tradicionalmente, el altar se crea con artesan?as y recuerdos asociados con los D?as de Muertos: fotos de amigos y familiares fallecidos, papel picado (papel de seda cortado), flores de cempas?chil (cal?ndula), ofrendas a los difuntos, religiosas o espirituales e iconograf?as. Es una pr?ctica sincr?tica que combina las tradiciones de los pueblos ind?genas de Mesoam?rica (nahuas, zapotecos, mayas y otras comunidades ind?genas de M?xico y Centroam?rica) con las tradiciones cat?licas en torno al D?a de Todos los Santos, as? como adaptaciones m?s recientes, como la Catrina (fantasioso personaje esquel?tico femenino) y nuevas tradiciones seculares. Debido a sus or?genes ind?genas mesoamericanos, el D?a de Muertos es una de las festividades m?s antiguas de las Am?ricas que se ha celebrado continuamente.
El Altar servira para resaltar y representar las tradiciones culturales de las comunidades mexicanas y latinas en Minnesota, crear un espacio para recordar las muchas vidas que se han perdido en los ?ltimos a?os (por COVID, disturbios sociales) y tambi?n ofrecer una espacio de sanaci?n comunitaria.
A nivel federal, esta pr?ctica cultural finalmente comienza a ser aceptada. En 2019, el Caucus Hispano del Congreso cre? un altar de D?as de Muertos en el Capitolio de los EE.UU. dedicado a los migrantes que murieron bajo la custodia del gobierno. El a?o pasado, el presidente Biden inaugur? el primer altar de D?as de Muertos en la Casa Blanca. En 2022, este ?Altar de Muertos? ser? el primero creado en el Capitolio de Minnesota. Como pueblos mexicanos y latinos en Minnesota, estamos creando un espacio para que nuestra cultura y comunidad est?n representadas en la "casa del pueblo": el Capitolio del Estado de Minnesota. Despu?s de varios a?os de dolor comunitario y muertes por encima del promedio, creemos que es el momento adecuado para crear una mayor conciencia sobre esta tradici?n en nuestro estado natal de Minnesota.
Looking for a paid internship position to learn about public policy, and support the legislative work and community engagement with Latinx communities?
Join MCLA as a Policy Fellow during the 2023 Legislative Session!
Apply here https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/ and search for Job ID 59616
To learn about MCLA, click here.
The deadline to apply is NOVEMBER 4, 2022
|
