The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington is helping to keep cultural traditions alive with its celebration of Día de los Muertos in collaboration with the Town of Huntington Hispanic Advisory Task Force and Latina Moms Connect Inc. on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Designed for families with crafts, churros and hot chocolate, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, at the museum is not Halloween; rather it follows a tradition of honoring deceased loved ones that is popular in Mexico, said Dorothy Santana, president and founder of Latina Moms Connect, a nonprofit helping bicultural families.
The free event runs from 12 to 5 p.m. and offers families a chance to create masks and flowers, enjoy face painting, and more. Attendees can also view the documentary 'Strong Yaqui Women' by Miroslava Gonzalez, according to Heckscher's website.
Gonzalez, who is described as an indigenous, Mexican-American mother and storyteller in pursuit of “cultural truth,” will be available for a meet-and-greet at 2 and 4 p.m. “This is a tradition that she celebrates and holds dear to her so she has a film that she'll be sharing about discovering her indigenous roots and the importance of maintaining them,” Santana said.
Participants are encouraged to bring mementos and photos of their deceased loved ones to display on an altar or ofrenda that Latina Moms will build, which will remain in the museum's gallery through Sunday, Nov. 3, from 12 to 5 p.m. Latina Moms will teach about the ofrenda and how this day is celebrated around the world at 1 and 3 p.m.
For those who attend, Santana said, “They can expect an immersive cultural experience that highlights this tradition.” She explained, “Día de los Muertos is a tradition that’s been celebrated for hundreds and hundreds of years, primarily in Mexican culture, but I’m sure it’s also in other cultures as well. As an organization, we work to highlight cultural traditions and create immersive experiences where families can engage in some of these traditions.”
While at the museum, families will have the chance to connect with the following artists and see their tradition-inspired works: Sueey Gutierrez, Brianna L. Hernández, and Manuel Alejandro Macarrulla. The artists represent diverse Latino backgrounds: Gutierrez, a New York-based artist, is of Salvadoran-Mayan heritage; Macarrulla often features his native Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, Hernández, described as a Chicana artist, curator, educator, and death doula, is known for multimedia installations on topics such as grief and mourning rituals."
Latina Moms, which started as a Facebook group in 2014, has been helping parents raise bicultural children to foster pride in their heritage and reduce feelings of isolation. From their Facebook roots, Santana said, “Eventually we became a nonprofit organization that now has immersive programming to engage moms and families in different conversations around identity parenting, what that journey looks like for them raising bicultural children, and then these larger group activities for the entire family to again be immersed in these traditional kinds of celebrations.”