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“I think that, for us, is the biggest challenge, like, how do you convey what can be a really powerful and beautiful experience for people through these virtual channels?” explains Self Help Graphics Executive Director Betty Avila.
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A transplant to Los Angeles since 1988, Joseph Leahy has taken on the traditions of Día de los Muertos and incorporated it in his life.
For over four decades, Self Help Graphics & Art become emblematic of the Day of the Dead in L.A. not only through its community celebrations but also through the annual limited-edition prints they commission. Take a look at some of these memorable prints.
A legend in the art of altar-making, Los Angeles artist Ofelia Esparza has taken the tradition of altar-making beyond the confines of Día de Los Muertos and uses it to heal communities and people.
Often portrayed as a Mexican tradition, the practice of honoring the dead in early November is also part of other Latin American and European cultures. Today it is also firmly entrenched in Chicanx culture. Find out how this tradition has evolved.
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Inspired by Oaxacan traditions, Dia de Los Muertos was brought to L.A. in the '70s as a way to enrich and reclaim Chicano identity. It has since grown in proportions and is celebrated around the world.
Self Help Graphics & Art introduced Día de los Muertos to the United States in 1972. For decades, the legendary arts organization has been the premier producer of the celebration, which is now replicated in communities all over the country.
In a time when Día de los Muertos is being misrepresented due to its commercialization as “Mexican Halloween,” the “Noche de Ofrenda” event reminded those who attended of the true meaning of Día de los Muertos.
As the number of Dia de los Muertos events grows is there a danger of its history and meaning being lost.
I went into the attic and dug out a banker's box sized container of DÃa de los Muertos paraphernalia.
KCET visited this year's Dia De Los Muertos festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to take in the sights, smells and to talk to some of the participants about their ceremonial altars.