NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – We all know about Halloween, but how much do you know about the traditional Mexican holiday Day of the Dead?
The Peninsula Fine Arts Center is inviting those in the Hampton Roads community to their free Day of the Dead Celebration on October 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dia de los Muertos, which translates to “Day of the Dead” in English, is a traditional Mexican celebration of family and friends who have passed away. Loved ones are remembered with ofrendas, or altars, which are constructed in their honor and decorated with photos, foods and special mementos. Day of the Dead is typically celebrated from October 31-November 2.
PFAC will have talks on the artistic traditions associated with the holiday, including the preparation of altars, decoration of sugar skulls and creation of cut paper garlands called papel picado. After the talk, guests will be invited to help the Center construct an ofrenda in memory of two important Mexican artists, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Guests will also enjoy hands-on art making and creating tributes to their loved ones with sidewalk chalk.
Artists from A Mile of Smiles will provide face painting to help visitors get the look of the calavera, an iconic image of a skeleton popularized in cartoons by Jose Guadalupe Posada. Face painting will be $3 for kids and $5 for adults.
The Day of the Dead celebration coincides with PFAC’s exhibition More Than Just a Pretty Face – Portraits and Self-Portraits, which brings together more than 50 works in a variety of media that examine the art of portraiture.
The Peninsula Fine Arts Center is located at 101 Museum Drive next to The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is regularly $7.50 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under.
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