Art collective plans free show Saturday for Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that celebrates loved ones and embraces the concept of death as a part of life.
In Mexican tradition, it is said that everyone experiences three deaths. The first is when a person dies, the second is when their body is reunited with the earth, the third and final death is when they are no longer remembered. The holiday centers around remembering dead family and friends, so they never experience the third death.
On Saturday, Sacramento artist collective Love Is A Verb honors the holiday with their free Dia de los Muertos-inspired show, “Amor Nunca Muere,” which translates to love never dies.
For their final show of the year, curators Raul Mejia, Alda Nuvia, and Ari Dee said they hope to inspire the community with a different perspective on death.
“We thought it was important to celebrate this tradition in our own way and bring attention to the fact that you don’t have to be afraid of it because it’s just another part of life,” said Nuvia, 42, artist and social media manager for Love Is A Verb. “We need to make it a part of our tradition in order to live with this.”
She said the show will blend both Mexican and American culture. “We are trying to represent the Latinx version of it more than anything else. It’s not the Mexican version of Dia de los Muertos, it’s our version.”
The creative trio said they want to provide guests with an experience where they can celebrate and leave with an understanding that that the holiday is not just about the theatrics of painted faces and sugar skulls.
“It’s an opportunity to educate people and at the same time have a platform for artists to show their art,” said Dee, 31, a makeup artist and performance art coordinator for Love Is A Verb.
The show will have more visual performances, such as snake dancing, a mini parade featuring local dancers and live music, Dee said.
“We will also have the Calaca Teca going on in the back, which is the skeleton party,” Dee said.
Head curator Mejia, 37, said he hopes to see people of all ages and cultures dressed as skeletons.
“I really just want to see everyone skeletonized and having fun,” said Mejia. “One thing about skeletons, we all have one. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, in the end when you take all the flesh away, we all look alike.”
The Day of the Dead inspired exhibition will showcase over 15 artists and will be an indoor/outdoor event, with live painting, vendors, food and alcohol options available.
It will also serve as a celebration of the closing of their popup gallery at their Del Paso Blvd location, which opened in July.
The show will be open to the public Oct. 20 and run until the end of the month. It will be available for viewing on the weekends or by scheduled appointments for art inquiries and purchases.
Mejia said this will be Love Is A Verb’s last show for now, with the focus of finding funding for future free art parties for the community.
“Having these cool parties have been the world to me,” said Mejia, “When I pass, I pray that someone has a skeleton party for me and alters with my picture on it.”
Dia de los Muertos Celebration and Art Show
When: Doors open at 6 p.m. Saturday and close at 11 p.m.
Where: 1023 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento
Cost: Free