“Some of them are created by individual artists, and some of them are created by community partners. What do they involve, and who's designing them? This year's observance will feature 20 “ofrendas” at Grand Park. Photo courtesy of the Music Center Los Angeles. And I think that will really help people feel this sense of connection.”Ī 20-minute workshop for children will be offered on October 23 to help them create their own “calavera,” or decorative skulls, using air dry clay, paper plates, and other craft items, according to Grand Park officials. They can place it at the altar amidst photos and mementos from people across LA. They can bring a photo or an object that reminds them of someone that they've loved and lost. There is a community altar for people to leave a memento of loved ones. But there's really another thing to come and experience a work of art that someone has created with photos, mementos and memorabilia, and to really feel tangibly the experience of loving someone and having lost them. “There's one thing to see statistics and data. How will the altars help families to come together and grieve collectively? This year’s Dia de los Muertos at Grand Park offers an opportunity for Angelenos to collectively grieve those who lost their lives during the COVID pandemic, according to Grand Park Executive Director Julia Diamond. We've taken the opportunity, recognizing how much grief and loss there has been in Los Angeles, to partner with the Department of Mental Health to provide resources to people who are coming and experiencing the altars, so they know where they can find hotlines and groups and resources to deal with grief and grieving.” Dia de los Muertos is a physical manifestation of that through the altars. so much joy in feeling their memory and their spirit and so much sadness in experiencing their loss. “It's fundamentally an opportunity to grieve and honor, so it entails the polarities that we all feel as human beings when we lose people and we have to say goodbye. Photo courtesy of the Music Center Los Angeles.Įighteen months into the pandemic, does this year's event carry special meaning? The Dia de los Muertos will feature live dance and poetry performances. Grand Park Executive Director Julia Diamond spoke with KCRW about the altars or “ofrendas.” The altars will officially be unveiled on Saturday, October 23 at an event with free live performances. The park’s ninth annual Dia de Los Muertos installation opens October 22 and runs through November 2. One of those observances is getting underway this week at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. The flowers are a traditional part of observances for Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, when families gather to remember loved ones who’ve passed away. Marigolds are popping up at flower stands and farmers markets across Southern California.
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