The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 21c Museum and the U of L Fine Arts Department and the Latin American and Latino Studies Program will celebrate El Día de los Muertos “Day of the Dead” holiday by hosting several public altars and related events October 25 through November 11, 2008.

Festivities kick-off at KMAC with Suzanne Martino hosting an altar-making workshop on October 25 from Noon-4pm in which participants will create their own shrine to someone or something that is important to them using a variety of materials. Beginning Oct. 27, KMAC will begin constructing public altars in which members of the public are encouraged to bring items to honor family, friends, passed artists and soldiers, while the students and faculty of the U of L Latin American and Latino Studies Program erect an altar in memory of César Iván Aguilar-Cano. Christopher 2X, Founder of Fight Crimes Against Children Partnerships, is collaborating with the LALS Program on this effort to pay tribute to César Iván, who lost his life tragically in 2007. Members of the community are invited to place toys around the altar, which will then be donated to the surviving family members of homicide victims, during the upcoming Christmas season.

On U of L’s campus, the Annual Day of the Dead Altar Contest will be hosted at Ekstrom Library, from October 27 to 31, and there will be an additional Day of the Dead celebration at the George Howe Red Barn from 10:00am-2:00am on November 3.

Beginning October 31, 21c Museum will display 3 altars, including one dedicated to Frida Kahlo, erected by Professor Christopher Fulton’s Mexican Art and Architecture class, a glass altar created by the students of Fine Arts Professor Che Rhodes, and an altar being dedicated to the “Las Muertas de Juarez”, the dead women of Juarez, created by Fine Arts professor Gabrielle Mayer, and her students. In addition, the students of Luci Mistratov’s U of L silk painting class will decorate the installation space with their original works.

On November 1, from 5-9pm, KMAC will host festivities that will include food, live music and dancing, a sugar skull contest, tissue flower-making, a Frida Kahlo costume contest, fire dancers, flamenco dancer Christina Smith, face painting, puppets, art cars, a candle lit march and much, much more. Guests are encouraged to attend, wearing costumes and masks. Also that day, Suzanne Edds of Louisville, KY will host a Clay Skeleton Masks workshop at KMAC from 11am-3pm. Participants will learn about the history and traditions of this holiday, while crafting clay skulls to honor the dead & celebrate life.

During the First Friday Gallery Hop on November 7, 21c Museum will have altars for viewing and exhibitions will conclude at 21c Museum on Nov 11.

The KMAC Gallery Shop will be featuring artwork for sale that is themed around the Day of the Dead holiday, including a selection of works by Suzanne Martino at KMAC from October 25-November 2 and at 21c Museum from November 3- 11.

About Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a joyous holiday, originating in Mexico that blends native Aztec and Roman Catholic traditions and beliefs to celebrate and honor the lives of deceased friends and family members. In this tradition, death is not seen as the end, but rather a new stage of life. It is now celebrated with cultural variations in areas throughout Latin America and the United States.

About the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft

The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981. Its mission is to support and promote art and craft excellence in Kentucky. The Museum is a member of Fund for the Arts and supported in part by The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, which supports the Museum with state tax dollars, through the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Located at 715 West Main Street in downtown Louisville, open hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or by appointment. Admission is $5 for adults, free for members, students and children under 12. For more information, please call 502.589.0102 or log on to www.KentuckyArts.org. Digital images available.

About 21cMuseum

The 21c Museum in Louisville, KY is the first-of-its-kind contemporary art museum in the region, with a collection from living artists all around the world. The museum has over 9,000 square feet of exhibition space with a dedicated video lounge. Funded and managed by the International Contemporary Art Foundation, the museum features dynamic group and solo exhibitions as well as permanent, commissioned installations. 21c Museum’s current exhibition, All’s Fair in Art and War: Envisioning Conflict, is on display in the street level gallery.

About the Latin American and Latino Studies Program at the University of Louisville

The Latin American and Latino Studies Program was established in 2000 to promote an interdisciplinary understanding of the complex issues and realities of the diverse peoples and cultures of Latin America and the United States, and enhance our students’ abilities to participate in the global community. The LALS program features a minor degree in Latin American Studies, a minor in Latino Studies, a Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies, and local and foreign internships. It also sponsors an Annual Study Abroad Program in Panama and a wide variety of cultural events. For more information, contact: Dr. Rhonda Buchanan, Director of LALS at rhondabuchanan@louisville.edu, or call 502-852-2034, or visit http://louisville.edu/latinamericanstudies.

About The University of Louisville’s Hite Art Institute and its Department of Fine Arts

The University of Louisville’s Hite Art Institute and its Department of Fine Arts is Kentucky’s most comprehensive university art program. With 23 full-time faculty plus endowed positions such as the Frederic Lindley Morgan Chair of Architectural Design and History, and the Sutherland Endowed Chair in Glass, the department serves over 500 undergraduate and graduate majors from throughout the Commonwealth as well as the nation.

Other Hite Art Institute components, such as the Margaret Bridwell Art Library, the Visual Resources Center, the University Art Collection and its Hite Galleries exhibition program, supplement and enhance the department’s instructional programs. Together these assets make the Hite Art Institute a center for creative research and an outstanding resource in the visual arts for university, city, state and nation.

Brittney Lunsford

PR/Marketing Coordinator

Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft

715 West Main Street

Louisville, Kentucky 40202

502.589.0102 x217

502.589.0154 fax

brittneylunsford@kentuckyarts.org

www.kentuckyarts.org

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft with state tax dollars, through the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

If you do not wish to receive these emails in the future, please reply to this email and place the word “Unsubscribe” in the subject. Thank you!