Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) Altar Presentation and Ofrenda

Join us for a short presentation and ofrenda (offering) at a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar created in collaboration between the California Ethnic & Multicultural Archives (CEMA), Las Maestras Center, and the Makerspace in honor of the holiday. Everyone is welcome to attend and to contribute a picture or an ofrenda (offering) for a loved one. 

The altar is composed of key elements created by UCSB students and staff in workshops throughout the month of October, including paper picado, tissue marigolds, decorated picture frames, and papier-mache skulls and will be on display until November 6 in the Library’s Ethnic and Gender Studies Collection space (2nd Floor, Ocean Side). 

Día de los Muertos is a traditional holiday held on November 1 and 2. Originally celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, its roots are traced to both Catholic and prehispanic Indigenous practices of preparing altars and offerings for the spirits of loved ones who have passed away. The tradition did not become a widely-known, public celebration in the United States until the 1970s and 1980s, when Chicano/a artists and activists began producing altars, processions, and other events. The Chicano movement is a social and cultural movement that worked towards the political empowerment of, ethnic solidarity, and pride in being of Indigenous descent for Mexican Americans. 

The workshops are inspired by the annual Día de Los Muertos celebration sponsored by Self Help Graphics & Art, a cultural arts center and studio in Los Angeles whose archives have been donated to the Library. To learn more about Día de Los Muertos, explore resources related to the holiday available at the Library, including visual resources from Library digital collections.

This event may be photographed or recorded.