A photography exhibit of the Mexican celebration of Los Días de los Muertos, or Days of the Dead, will be on display at Duke University Oct. 2 through Nov. 6.
An opening reception for "Days of the Dead: From Mexican Roots to Present-Day Practice in the United States" will be held at the Fredric Jameson Gallery in the Friedl Building on East Campus at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
The exhibit features photographs, an Oaxacan traditional altar, a student-designed mural and two videos. The photographs were taken during last year's celebration in southern Mexico. During the reception, Eric and Janet Chavez Santiago, Mexican weavers and educators, will present a collection of hand-woven, natural-dye rugs.
The Days of the Dead observance, Nov. 1-2, can be traced back hundreds of years to a celebration dedicated to the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl, or "Lady of the Dead." It is one of the oldest known celebrations of life and death in North America. Over the centuries it has been transformed through its contact with Spaniards, Catholicism, and through its modern-day practices in Mexico and Central America. Families prepare altars with flowers, candles, food and beverages, photographs, and memorabilia to celebrate the life of the deceased. The spirits of the dead are invited back to reunite with the living.
Students from E.K. Powe Elementary collaborated with Duke service-learning students to create a student-designed mural project on display. The exhibit also will feature details on how the observance is used in U.S. curriculum and a map showing how the traditions have migrated within the United States.
For exhibit hours and to schedule a visit, contact Tracy Carhart at tracy.carhart@duke.edu, or Jenny Snead Williams at jennysw@duke.edu.
For more information, visit the Program for Latino/a Studies in the Global South website, http://latinostudies.duke.edu.