22, at The Hunger Coalition in Bellevue and at a concert by Las Cafeteras. The students in the class will perform some of the dances they’ve learned at a free gathering on Saturday, Oct. And she’s doing her part teaching Wood River Valley youth Mexican folk dances through a series of Wednesday evening classes at BCRD’s Fitworks. It takes me back to my childhood when my grandmother was cooking and my grandfather was decorating the altar with marigolds.”ĭirce Flores paints a flower on a tile made by El Paso native George Rodriguez.įlores loves seeing The Museum offer workshops that help community members learn about Dia de los Muertos. “The smell is very unique, very different. “For me, it’s the smell associated with Dia de los Muertos,” she added. We repeat the stories of our ancestors over and over, and in that way we get to know our ancestors,” said Flores That’s why we see so much red and orange. “Everything has to be bright-the colors have to be bright. Kate Riley creates a clam shell that will be able to hold something.Įach day celebrants remember different people starting with babies that have died-“They’re considered angels” said Flores. The week-long observance starts Oct.28 and runs through Nov. The four corners can represent fire, earth water and air and a bridge between heaven and earth, said Thorp.ĭia de los Muertos is a time to come together with family and community and remember the past and celebrate the present, said Rodriguez.įlores has maintained the tradition of building an altar every year around the time many in the United States call All Souls Day. Then she went to work on crafting a bowl to hold water, food or offerings.Įight-year-old Sarah Enoki created a heart, while her mother Kat Thorp, who teaches English and Latina literature at Wood River High School, made a chakana, a stepped cross. While Flores painted a tile that had been designed by ceramic artist George Rodriguez, Celia Huaman made an apple. And now we have two sons 16 years old and nine years old.”Ĭarlos Lecanda sculpts a skull for the altar. “We fell in love with the small town and we stayed. “We came during winter and everything was covered in snow and so beautiful,” said Flores. And, when she and her husband visited Sun Valley on vacation, they stayed. She studied sociology while dancing ballet and contemporary dance. 1, when Carlos Lecanda shows people how to make a Catrina-an elegantly dressed skeleton that has become a symbol of the Day of the Dead.įlores, who lives with her family in Bellevue, grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico, before pursuing college in Oregon. The workshops were among several events that the Museum has organized over the coming weeks to introduce the Dia de los Muertos celebration to the community. 29.Ĭelia Huaman creates a bowl that can be used to hold water, food or other offerings. My grandmother cooked mole and made desserts-apples in a thick syrup… We all helped build a big arch in front of the table, and the everyone got together for a week to celebrate my great-grandparents who guided us, to remember the people who had passed away.”įlores, who now lives with her family in Bellevue, was one of dozens of adults and children who took part in three free workshops organized by Sun Valley Museum of Art this week to create and paint clay objects for a community Dia de Los Muertos altar that will be unveiled at a community Dia de los Muertos celebration on Oct. “My grandfather went to the farmer’s market to buy flowers and food for the altar-everything had to be fresh. Dirce Flores always looked forward to fall when her family built a traditional Dia de los Muertos altar.
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