Longmont's Dia de los Muertos celebrates 22 years of art, festivities and community

Oct. 6—While Day of the Dead isn't officially until early November, Longmont is celebrating the tradition early with a whole slew of activities, art exhibits and more stretching into next month.

Longmont Museum has again welcomed members of the community to decorate the center's Swan Atrium with altars bearing keepsakes, photographs, blooms and more. The sun-lit room, with colorful Mexican prayer flags hanging from the rafters, holds 10 intricate memorials.

"The best part of our annual 'Día de Muertos' exhibition is the tremendous generosity that our altar builders put into assembling their ofrenda and sharing their memories, mementoes, photos, stories and love for their deceased friends and family in a public space," said Ann Macca, Longmont Museum's curator of education. "Each altar is deeply meaningful to the people who build them."

Starting on Saturday, folks will be able to visit the space and get an up-close look at these well-crafted tributes.

Among the eye-catching displays is one by artist Laurie Algar, of Fantasia Mosaics, that honors her late father James Algar, a film director, screenwriter and producer. He worked for Walt Disney and did the animation for the 1937 film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

"The willingness to share is such a big deal," Macca said. "Each altar is built by an individual, a family, a school group or an organization. They are each unique and very special."

"Día de los Muertos," which will be up through Nov. 6, is free to the public.

Running since the the year 2000, it's the longest-standing Day of the Dead exhibition and celebration in Colorado and attracts over 6,000 people annually.

"I think this exhibition and the celebration remain popular for a number of reasons," Macca said. "First, this is a cultural tradition. It dates back to pre-Hispanic times. Most cultures around the world have deeply rooted traditions around death and remembrance. That is something we can all understand and appreciate."

The exhibition allows folks to honor their loved ones in new and creative ways.

"This tradition is actually a fun and heartwarming approach to death and remembrance," Macca said. "It is a celebration of life and a way to keep the memories of the departed alive. Building an altar is a time to talk about your lost loved ones with friends and family."

On Oct. 29, Longmont Museum will host "Noche de Museo: Celebrating Day of the Dead." Taking place at Stewart Auditorium, attendees can dance to music provided by Mariachi groups and other performers. Tickets are $5-$10.

"We aim to teach cultural appreciation," Macca said. "I am hoping that visitors gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for this tradition. Seeing a movie like 'Coco' is a great way to spread interest — but to truly appreciate the beauty of Día de los Muertos, it takes learning about the history, origins, and symbolism connected to all the iconographic elements like marigold flowers, monarch butterflies, sugar skulls and Catrinas."

Artist Marcelo Fernandez has also enriched the exhibition with a large-scale piece.

"I love that Marcelo (Fernandez) is embracing our space, building an altar that encompasses the height and width of the east wall, responds to the changing light throughout the day," Macca said. "It is also open for community members to add to. It is welcoming and inclusive, while also being deeply personal."

On Saturday, starting at 11 a.m., Longmont's Day of the Dead Family Celebration will take place in downtown Longmont at 4th Avenue and Main Street. Kicking off weeks of activities, the well-attended event is always a favorite for those in Boulder County and beyond.

"I love that this celebration centers on the family, whether that is ancestors or future generations," said Elaine Waterman, executive director of Firehouse Art Center. "This world is so techie and fast-moving, but this celebration centers inter-generational sharing of culture. This cultural sharing makes it important to slow down, listen and honor our elders."

Waterman and her team have been busy constructing enormous puppets that will be operated by folks for the Gigantes Procession. In Mexico and Spain, traditionally they are built using bamboo and other bendable woods. Waterman crowdsourced material suggestions for the project, and people suggested using football pads, hiking backpacks and PVC tubing.

"We combined the best new ideas, the historical design and the experience of carrying our current Gigantes and we came up with the new design," Waterman said. "We are hoping they will be light and sturdy, while also honoring the tradition of these large puppets."

Long days of assembling will soon come to fruition when the oversized characters take to the streets Saturday.

"In Mexico, these processions are a huge undertaking," Waterman said. "Teams are responsible for making these puppets, creating rings, structures, sewn elements and paper-mache pieces. We are a small team at the Firehouse, so we appreciate that the Rotary Club of Niwot came in to create our new paper-mache heads."

Saturday, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., folks can enjoy dance performances, arts and crafts activities and delicious food.

"The visual beauty of the event is just so striking," Waterman said. "The activities are so fun for both adults and children."

Visitors can also venture into Firehouse Art Center to take in an array of stunning Catrinas — elegantly dressed skeleton figures stemming from Mexican culture.

"We have Catrinas from past years combined with the ones created this year for a total of 40," Waterman said. "This year we invited 14 returning artists to paint on canvas instead of paper."

All of the Catrinas are up for auction, with proceeds going to free art education provided to marginalized communities. Proceeds also help to fund art exhibits, providing artist stipends. Online bidding will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

"I created one again this year, borrowing from (José Guadalupe) Posada's style of printmaking," Waterman said. "Each year I do one in the style of a relief-cut print plate, even though it is really just painted with acrylic and ink. This year I combined Asian elements in the design to honor my AAPI heritage."

Among the artists with Catrinas that will be up for bid is Grace Gutierrez, a mixed-race Chicana artist known for her stirring paintings, photographs, murals, ceramics and video art.

"The best thing about being included in this exhibition is just being a part of the prestigious Firehouse Catrina group," Gutierrez said. "I worked for years at the Firehouse and always helped hang the Catrinas, but I never painted one. So it feels really special to be in the show with local artists I always admired."

Gutierrez's Catrina, titled "Coyote Keeper," is a striking 6-foot-tall work whose subject matter is sure to bring forth reflection.

"My own Catrina is inspired by recent events raising questions around body autonomy," Gutierrez said. "I have been doing a lot of research on coyotes lately. Not only are they referenced a lot in Mexican and indigenous folklore for being cunning, tricky animals, but in modern times they are known for being highly adaptable and able to thrive anywhere, mountains, cities and deserts. But the thing I love most about them is the fact that they are practically impossible to eradicate as much as different cities have tried."

Gutierrez's solo exhibit "Pertenecer"— at the now-shuttered Boulder Creative Collective — celebrated the vibrancy and pride she has for her Chicanx culture.

"I relate this strength of the coyote to the strength of marginalized individuals," Gutierrez said. "I really upped my inclusion of coyote imagery after the overturning of Roe vs. Wade as a way to say we will not be controlled, eradicated or silenced. This painting shows two coyotes protecting a woman over a pile of bones to represent protection of body autonomy."

Saturday, Gutierrez will also be bringing her artistry to skin as a painter at Firehouse's Calacas face painting booth.

"Día de los Muertos has become such an important community event in Longmont," Gutierrez said. "As someone who has grown up in Longmont, I have seen a lot of change and displacement occur in the community, but this event celebrates the diversity of Longmont and the influence of Mexican culture on our city."

On Oct. 28, from 7-10 p.m., Firehouse Art Center will host a Catrina Ball. The space formerly known as Breakers Grill will be transformed into an inviting candle-lit dance hall with plenty of blooms. Tickets are $15-$20.

But first, the streets of Longmont will be filled with song, dance and lively color. Saturday, Attendees can park downtown or take a free shuttle from Longmont Museum.

"I want to believe that people want to understand and empathize with each other, especially since the social and political environment seems so divided," Waterman said. "This event is all about sharing and celebrating our Latino community and the amount of joy created is infectious. The event is truly a beautiful reflection of our diverse community, and we are so happy to be a part of it."