Día de Muertos: Estampas de Vida (Day of the Dead: Prints of Life)

October 15-November 5, 2022

The Bath House Cultural Center is hosting its 36^th annual Day of the Dead exhibition in 2022.  The show, titled Día de Muertos: Estampas de Vida (Day of the Dead: Prints of Life), is on display from October 15 to November 5, and includes artwork by artists from Texas, Wisconsin, and Mexico.

The center will host a reception with the artists on Sunday, October 16, from 5 to 7 PM.  During the reception, visitors will enjoy viewing giant festive puppets (mojigangas) and listening to live music by Los Hijos de Moreno, a Dallas band of young musicians, ages 9-17, who play traditional Mexican conjunto music.

The exhibition features artwork in all media; however, there is a special emphasis placed on the art of traditional printmaking, an art medium that has been closely linked to the festivity—especially because of its prominence and wide use by Day of the Dead artists like José Guadalupe Posada, Leopoldo Méndez, Alberto Beltrán, Manuel Manilla, and various members of the esteemed Taller de la Gráfica Popular (People’s Print Workshop) from Mexico.  The highlighted printmaking pieces that were selected for the show include techniques such as woodcut, linocut, etchings, lithography, aquatint, monotype, screen printing, and other mixed media art where printmaking processes were incorporated.

The exhibition also features altars and ofrendas created by local artists to honor their departed relatives or friends, and even public figures like Queen Elizabeth.

Día de Muertos: Estampas de Vida includes art pieces by Annie Adams, Diana Almand, Guadalupe Anaya, Matt Bagley, Rita Barnard, Molly Boyd, Lori Brennan, Dana Brock, Tyra Burks, Vicki Charlotta, Roy J. Cirigliana, Maureen Cole, Ashley Cruz, Enrique D’Altamirano, Nicolás de Jesús, Gail Delger, Dan Dudley, Lori Dudley, Cat Fears, Victoria L. Ferrell Ortiz, Jacque Forsher, Ann Gaspari, Nick Glenn, Brandy González, Erica Guajardo, Abigail A. Gutierrez, Fain Hancock, Mary Hannigan, Juán J. Hernández, Duane Johnson, Sarah Kelly, KeLaine Kvale, Braulio Lazón, Nadia A. Leos, Linda Lopez, Laurie Mahoney, Beth Mahy, Lizette Márquez, Cyndi McDonnell, Jean E McIntosh, Marcela Mihaloglou, Maureen F. Moore, Beverly Ann (BAM) Moore, Nancy Muñoz, David R. Newman, Liz Olsson, Rafael Osorio, Lourdes Osorio, Leslie N. Polk, Krystal Read, Eduardo Robledo, Rosalía Salazar, Evan Sartin, Maysa Sem, Karen Siebenhausen, Jainite Silvestre, Judy Stone-Nunneley, Elise Techentine, Jose Vargas, Gabriela R. Villafaña, Terri Wilder, Kathy Windrow, Kelly Witte, Wendy Woodring, Utopia YumYum, and Sharon Zigrossi.

This exhibition was curated by Enrique Fernández Cervantes.

According to an ancient Mexican tradition, every year the spirits of the dead come back to visit with their families. This occasion happens on All Saints Day (Nov 1) and on the Day of the Dead (Nov 2). During the celebration, many people clean and decorate cemeteries with flowers, and they build elaborate altars with offerings to the dead in their homes to welcome back each family’s departed souls. The altars include food, special gifts, candles, flowers, and other commemorative personal items that were enjoyed and cherished by the person who is being honored.

The Day of the Dead tradition sustains the conviction that life and death are inseparable. Those who embrace this attitude live intensely for the moment because they recognize that there is an end to life.