Day of the Dead Festivities with José Guadalupe Flores and Diane Arkin

Week of November 2, 2024

Saturday
Visit Professor’s Park for an outstanding display of Day of the Dead Altars.
Take the van from the Ranch to the Park. Activities throughout the day.

Saturday 7 pm Dining Room
The Altar in the Day of the Dead Celebration explained by José Guadalupe Flores, Ph.D.
Our traditional Day of the Dead altar in the Dining Hall is built by Professor Flores together with students from the University of Baja California, Tijuana. Professor Flores explains the significance of the Day of the Dead celebration and the altar in Mexican culture. You are welcome to bring a photo of a deceased loved one to place on the altar and to write a thought for the tree of remembrance. The dessert that evening will include the traditional Day of the Dead bread and hot chocolate enjoyed all over Mexico during these days.

Dr. José Guadalupe Flores was born in Tijuana and studied both in Mexico and the US, obtaining his BA, MA and PhD degrees at the University of San Diego and a Law Degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico.  He taught for 42 years at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana.  He has represented the Mexican Academic Community in many educational events at UNESCO and other educational institutions.  He has done extensive research on Mexican and Cuban cultural affairs.  He has presented altars during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Spain in Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Cuenca, and the Canary Islands, as well as in San Diego and at Rancho La Puerta during our yearly festivities.

Saturday 8 pm Olmeca Gym
Deciphering the Day of the Dead  — a slide show with Diane Arkin 
With roots dating back thousands of years, the Day of the Dead is one of the most important celebrations in Mexico. It has become a blend of Catholic tradition and Mexican mysticism, commemorating death as another element of life, and as a way to remember and honor loved ones who have passed. But the Day of the Dead is not grim. It is a powerful affirmation of life and creativity with its rich and complex traditions that continue to filter into popular culture throughout the world. Come and explore the purpose of the holiday, specific Mexican artists like Posada who popularized it, where it originated, who celebrates it, how it is celebrated, its relation to other holidays, and how it remains a symbol of Mexican national and ethnic identity.

 

The Magic, Myths and Magnetism of Art

Giants of 20^th Century Mexican Mural Art
Mexico has long been a magnet for an international community of avant-garde intellectuals, writers, poets, and artists, but it is Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros who would shape an artistic revolution and an imaginative new vision, bringing both fame and notoriety as they went on to influence generations of Mexican artists, while also profoundly impacting American art at mid-century. Join Diane Arkin to explore, discover, and discuss this extraordinary cultural and artistic legacy of Mexico.

Deciphering the Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos)
With roots dating back thousands of years, the Day of the Dead is one of the most important celebrations in Mexico. It has become a blend of Catholic tradition and Mexican mysticism, commemorating death as another element of life, and as a way to remember and honor loved ones who have passed. But the Day of the Dead is not grim. It is a powerful affirmation of life and creativity with its rich and complex traditions that continue to filter into popular culture throughout the world. Come and explore the purpose of the holiday, specific Mexican artists like Posada who popularized it, where it originated, who celebrates it, how it is celebrated, its relation to other holidays, and how it remains a symbol of Mexican national and ethnic identity.

Spanish and Mexican Surrealism: The Magic of Miro, Dilemma of Dali, and Fantasies of Frida
The dream imagery, personal sign languages, auras of fantasy, and subconscious feelings that surrealist artists explored are all evidenced in the paintings of Miro and Dali, two of the best-known 20^th-century Spanish surrealist painters. But we also find these elements in the extraordinary art of Frida Kahlo, a truly iconic Mexican surrealist painter who forged a unique and original type of art filled with personal symbolism. These artists took separate paths to express their shared interests, with Miro creating child-like, carefree, abstract, and poetic images, with flamboyant Dali pursuing painting with hallucinatory impact and power to shock, and with Kahlo virtually re-inventing self-portraiture as autobiography. Join Diane Arkin as we unravel the mysteries in the surrealist art of these three giants of modernism.

Enjoying Modern Art
Modern art can baffle, challenge, irritate, and delight us. By throwing away past traditions, artists like Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Picasso, Miro, Rauschenberg, Warhol, Wiley, and Kim experimented with new ideas and materials to revolutionize the art experience. With an emphasis on 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st century art we will track the hand of the artist, the growing emphasis on the psychological, and the movement toward abstraction.  Join Diane Arkin for a session of careful looking and lively discussion aimed at discovering, exploring, and enjoying modern art.

 

For VIP’s, dignitaries, superstars, and celebrities, Diane Arkin, retired Senior Lecturer at the National Gallery of Art, was the scholar routinely called on to provide engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking presentations on subjects spanning treasures from the medieval period through the most challenging art of today. She also lectured nationally on museum education, trends in theory and practice, active learning strategies, and museums as unique learning environments. Prior to coming to the National Gallery of Art, Diane served as Curator of Education at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art and Design in Washington, DC, and as Director of Education at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Diane’s work as a Program Coordinator in both the Resident Associate Program and the International Study Tours Division of the Smithsonian Institution included years of lecturing both domestically and internationally on a broad range of art historical subjects.