Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery Presents "The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos)" Exhibit Oct. 31-Dec. 14

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“The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos)” Exhibit Oct. 31-Dec. 14

ANNVILLE, PA (10/17/2014)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College's Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery will present "The Day of the Dead (El día de los muertos)" Oct. 31 to Dec. 14 in the second exhibit of its 20th anniversary season.

This exhibition will explore the significance of imagery connected to the Mexican celebration known as Día de los Muertos and its relationship to conceptions of death and family heritage both pre- and post-Spanish conquest. Día de los Muertos is a celebration in Mexico that is held from October 31 to November 2. Participants believe that the souls of the departed return each night to enjoy the food and flowers that the family has put out for them either on an ofrenda (altar) in their home or on their tomb in the cemetery.

In 2013, the Gallery was the recipient of a President's Innovation Grant providing funding for the director, Barbara McNulty, and a student intern, Kara Gunderman '14, to travel to Oaxaca, Mexico in fall of 2013 to do research and participate in local Day of the Dead observances.

"The amazing experience provided to me by Lebanon Valley College, The Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery, and the President's Innovation Fund Grant is one that I will never forget," stated former Gallery intern Kara Gunderman '14 in October 2013. "The ability to travel to a foreign country, immerse myself in the culture, and also help cultivate these memories into an art exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am very excited for the entire campus to experience at least a portion of what we learned in Mexico, through the upcoming Day of the Dead exhibition."

The exhibits reception will be Friday, Oct. 31, 5–7 p.m. The reception will include traditional Mexican food, drink, and music. Students are invited to have their face painted as Calavera imagery, or skulls, and dress in black before the opening. Those interested can meet in the art seminar room from 3–4:30 p.m. Immediately after the reception, there will be a visit to the Mt. Annville Cemetery on Rte. 934 where we will meet at the gravesite of John Synodinos, the late LVC president who founded the Gallery. LVC's Chaplain Paul Fullmer will officiate a brief ceremony to honor President Synodinos.

Moravian College's Dr. Sandra Aguilar will host a lecture, "Celebrating the Dead: A Living Tradition," on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. in Zimmerman Recital Hall. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m., Jim Nikas, founder, curator, and co-owner of The Brady Nikas Collection will present, "José Guadalupe Posada: Calaveras and Social Commentary." He will discuss the impact of the collaboration of La Catrina, which was originally an elegantly dressed female's skeleton as a parody of the wealthy who dressed like Europeans, and Day of the Dead printmaker, José Guadalupe Posada, and his publisher, Miguel Arroyo, which they had on contemporary tabloids and visual imagery. The lectures are free and open to the public.

A workshop, involving monoprinting, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monoprinting is a form of printmaking that has images or lines that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking where there are multiple originals. Nancy Williams, LVC art instructor, will conduct the workshop. There will also be a children's monoprinting workshop from 9–11:30 a.m. that morning.

Gallery hours are Wednesdays from 5–8 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 1–4:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., and by appointment for groups. Schools and other organizations are encouraged to contact the Gallery for a private Gallery talk. Additional information is available at www.lvc.edu/gallery.