Days of the Dead
Palomar’s Library Exhibition 2007
The Days of the Dead Exhibition and Display at Palomar College Library has been displayed for over twenty years. The Exhibition began with the initiative and hard work from José Rangel and Alexis Ciurczak through the sponsorship of Multicultural Studies Department and the Library at Palomar College. After both founders of the exhibition retired, the library continues to open the space for this tradition with the support of Multicultural Studies, Foreign Languages and Student Services.
This year three altars will be built with many ofrendas. Students will create the altars with ofrendas for visual artists and for other people that have left us. One of the ofrendas will be open for the public so that they can leave photographs and objects as small ofrendas for their departed.
A painting from world known artist Roland Crump (Former Disney Art Director) will be displayed. Other artwork from Enrique Lázaro will also be exhibited as well as crafts and “artesanías” from Mexico. Numerous books on the topic of the Days of the Dead will be displayed as well.
At 5:00pm a small Comparsa from students and Teatro SubUrbano Troupe will perform “El Reavivado” in Espanglish, a small street theatre play is basically a parade that will arrive at the library at 5:10pm. This comparsas are very traditional in Central Mexico. The main characters are a happy widow, a dying or dead husband, the father of the widow, a doctor, a priest, a shaman, and people dressed like death and devils, and also a group of “lloronas” (crying women). The plot is a representation of the happy widow that pretends to be sad because of her husband’s condition (either dying or dead), but she is already flirting with other men. The actors make a parody of professionals because the widow asks for financial support from her father to pay for a doctor. Once the doctor arrives, he takes the money of the father but does not cure the husband. Then they ask the priest to help heal the husband but he also fails. The shaman comes in without asking for money and he is able to make well the husband. Naturally death and the devils leave angry because they believed that they would harvest a soul for themselves.
After the Comparsa the Exhibit will open with a short speech from Katherine Gannet and John Valdez. Traditional hot chocolate and Pan de Muerto will be served. At 5:30 the Exhibition will be open to the public from October 18 to November 13, 2007. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
We deeply appreciate the efforts of our students, especially Betina, Jeff and Ali that have taken the initiative to make this exhibition a success.
We are grateful for the support of Joe Madrigal, John Valdez, Martha Evans, Katherine Gannet and Paul Groom for their support. We also appreciate Martha's students' collaboration .
Link to the Day of the Dead Site
Visitors since Fall 07
Article in the Union Tribune about the Day of the Dead Exhibition 2007