SAY Sí reimagines our largest annual community event, Muertitos Fest, as a virtual experience.
Due to the pandemic, Muertitos Fest 2020 is transformed into a month-long season of virtual programs that will be showcased at muertitosfest.com and on social media. Visitors can expect: Educational Workshops | A Virtual Mercado | Video Performances from Local Talent | A Gallery of Student Artwork | An Interactive Community Altar | Video Tours of Folk Art Collections & More!
Every year, SAY Sí curates one of San Antonio’s most comprehensive Día de los Muertos celebrations, providing educational context to the important holiday.With the theme of Amor y Esperanza (Love & Hope), this year’s Muertitos Fest celebrates the traditions that bring us together – even while we’re apart.
SAY Sí reimagines our largest annual community event, Muertitos Fest, as a virtual experience.
Due to the pandemic, Muertitos Fest 2020 is transformed into a month-long season of virtual programs that will be showcased at muertitosfest.com and on social media. Visitors can expect: Educational Workshops | A Virtual Mercado | Video Performances from Local Talent | A Gallery of Student Artwork | An Interactive Community Altar | Video Tours of Folk Art Collections & More!
Every year, SAY Sí curates one of San Antonio’s most comprehensive Día de los Muertos celebrations, providing educational context to the important holiday.With the theme of Amor y Esperanza (Love & Hope), this year’s Muertitos Fest celebrates the traditions that bring us together – even while we’re apart.
Every week we will showcase a new set of content for you based on a different Día de los Muertos theme. Every week, you can expect a new interactive video workshop, a video performance and a new way that you can participate from home.
November 1 – 7
Theme: La Ofrenda: The Home Altar
November 8 – 14
Theme: Calaveras y Calacas
November 15 – 21
Theme: Monarchs & Marigolds
November 22 – 28
Theme: El Alimento: The Food
With remote learning still in place, SAY Sí visual and media artists picked up their art supplies and materials curbside from SAY Sí and worked their studio hours from home. Visual arts middle and high school artists explored traditional folk-art crafts such as Repujado, paper maché (cartonería) and papel picado, while media arts middle school students created digital photo illustrations. View the gallery.
In Mexico, crafts created for utilitarian purposes and folk art (arte popular) are collectively known as “artesanía.” For Mexico, artesanía is heavily tied to national identity as well as indigenous identities. While the tourism industry and foreign interest are now an essential part of keeping the Mexican artesanía tradition alive, mass production of imitations are often sold to tourists.
Below you can tour the homes of 2 folk art collectors based in San Antonio, Texas. These collections showcase artesanía purchased from traditional folk artists in efforts to document and preserve this important art form.
Where have you seen Mexican Folk Art? Have you seen any sold at a mercado or festival? How about a museum? Consider ways that artesanía has shown up in your life, and how you can support the artisans keeping this craft alive.
This year’s Muertitos Fest design was created by Oaxacan printmaker, Alberto Cruz
Alberto was born in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca and holds a Plastic Arts degree from the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca. His primary medium is printmaking.
The work of Alberto Cruz focuses on childhood and innocence, with pure and simple lines depicting whimsical scenes. From his lucid and mysterious narratives, each piece explores a world of possibilities. His primary imagery is children’s illustration in which Alberto Cruz finds a personal connection to create his work.
In 2016 he was the recipient of the Takeda award and to date has had three solo exhibitions in Mexico, and has exhibited in several group exhibitions both national and international.
One of the key elements of Día De Los Muertos revolves around ofrendas, or offerings, which are created through a visual display of altar-making and grave decorating. Altars are constructed as a way to welcome back deceased friends and family members. Many Families construct them directly, in their homes, on the gravesite of the deceased and others build them outside of public buildings. The planning and process can sometimes take months. If the altar is placed at gravesite, many families hold candlelit vigils to celebrate. Who do you remember? Visit our virtual community altar, type in the name of a remembered loved one, and click on the candle to light. Scroll down to view other honored community members.
Visit our Muertitos Mercado. You will find a collection of vendors based in central texas. Click through to their websites and social media pages to support these small business owners and purchase their work.
Welcome to our Muertitos Teatro.Every week, you can expect a new interactive video workshop, a video performance from local talent, and showcased on this page.
Welcome to Our Muertitos Workshop Studio. Each Sunday in November, SAY Sí visits with artists, content experts and cultural bearers to share some crafts, practices and traditions associated with Día de Los Muertos. Each pre-recorded workshop will correspond with the weekly theme and will be available for viewing pleasure all year long.
The Ofrenda: Mini Matchbox Nicho
A popular folk art tradition throughout Central and South America called Nichos, started out as tin or wooden shadow boxes paying homage to patron saints or lost loved ones. Now often resembling dioramas, they are made from common household objects and craft material and traditionally combine the artist or patron elements from Roman Catholicism, mestizo spirituality, and popular culture.
Calaveras y Calacas: Face Painting
Join SAY Sí’s youth theatre company for a face painting workshop!
Monarchs & Marigolds: Cempasuchil de papel crepé/Crepé Paper Marigold