Day of the Dead celebrates life

    The drums and festive music flow out of this gathering at Blackbridge Hall. A mob surrounds the building normally reserved for more discreet art observations.
    It is Nov. 1, and everyone from students to community visitors are here to enjoy the Day of the Dead Celebration. Face paint, traditional food and themed music add to the atmosphere of this Mexican tradition.
    “The face paint is nice,” Evan Williams, freshman art major, said. “I haven’t done this in awhile.”
    Marketing major Carter Ray said the food makes the event that much better.
Beyond the paint and candy skulls lies a more important event for participants.
    A decorative altar setup seems to draw everyone’s attention. People bring pictures of deceased relatives or loved ones to place at the altar as a means to recognize and celebrate their lives.
    “People from our class and the community are encouraged to make offerings for their loved ones who have departed,” Dr. Roxanne Farrar, associate professor of art, said.
    Some people even brought pictures of admired figures such as Rosa Parks.
    The opening of the Day of the Dead Celebration included an introduction from art students involved in the event planning.
    Farrar’s comparative studies class sets up and organizes everything. The class breaks up into small groups with different responsibilities.
    “We’ve been doing it for five years now and every year it gets bigger and bigger,” Farrar said. “The altar is more beautiful and we have live music this year.”
    The ceremony began with an introduction to the background of the traditional Spanish event known as El Dia De Los Muertos. The crowd calmed a bit as the music stopped.
    The attention turned to the altar. Smoke rose up around the area from a lighted incense used to guide the deceased back to their relatives.
    The smoke was directed over each level of the altar and then around the spectators.
    People could choose to accept the smoke or not participate. Those who embraced the ceremony waved their hands inviting the smoke inward.
    After the smoke cleared people were encouraged to say the names of the deceased they wished to honor.
    Unfortunately, most of the large crowd did not participate in this part. Whether scared or too nervous, people held back from speaking.
    Some understood the Day of the Dead better than others.
    “My dad passed away my junior year, so I’m here for him,” Williams said.
    After the altar ceremony ended, the music cranked back up and everyone continued the fun.
    Several female faculty broke out in a salsa style line dance in the middle of the crowd. They motioned for onlookers to join in, but others could not catch the vibe.
    The art tank sold t-shirts and the face painting continued until the end of the event.
    This year’s Day of the Dead festivities had good turnout from students and the community.
    Check out the Blackbridge hall for future art exhibits and shows. Doors are always open for public viewing.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 9 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry