To Life: A Day of the Dead Celebration

To Life: A Day of the Dead Celebration
September 16 – November 6, 2011
Open Book Lobby

Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is a celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. The origins of the celebration can be traced back to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, such as the Aztec, Maya, Purepecha, Nahual and Totonac. Today, despite the morbid subject matter, the holiday is celebrated joyfully. On these dates, families clean and decorate graves, build shrines, and provide offerings and trinkets of flowers and loved ones’ favorite foods. A common symbol of the holiday is the skull, which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas. In recent years, the vibrant colors, symbols and decorations associated with Día de los Muertos have become increasingly visible in popular art. To celebrate this festival, Minnesota Center for Book Arts sponsored a postcard contest, with all entries displayed from September 16 – November 6, 2011 in the Open Book Lobby Gallery.

Best In Show $250 prize:

Nuno Nuñez, papel picado (cut paper)

Honorable mentions:

Kayla Kern
Max Mose
Nicole Whiting
Maria Witham