Northcut Steele Gallery
D铆a de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
A Cultural Legacy,
Past, Present & Future
An Exhibition from Self Help Graphics & Art (SHG), Los Angeles
October 18鈥揇ecember 13, 2018
Thursday, October 18, 5pm鈥�8pm
Public Reception & Presentation by Betty Avila
Presentation begins @ 5:30pm in LI148 (next to gallery)
*Catered, Free and Open to Public*
顶级国产视频鈥檚 Northcutt Steele Gallery features D铆a de los Muertos: A Cultural Legacy, Past, Present & Future, an exhibition of prints, photographs, and artifacts on loan from Self Help Graphics & Art (SHG) beginning October 18. This exhibition traces the evolution of the D铆a de los Muertos celebration that emerged from SHG, a community-based workshop established in Los Angeles in 1970 and documents a rich multi-decade history of art-making and community-building associated with the organization.
In 1974, SHG staged the now nationally recognized East Los Angeles D铆a de los Muertos event. Traditionally held on November 1 & 2, D铆a de los Muertos has its origins in Mexico and was originally conceived as a one-time event by the organization. The following year the community demand was so great that SHG decided to continue sponsorship. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the East Los Angeles D铆a de los Muertos commemoration blossomed into a three-day event that attracted national attention and inspired many communities.
The community event accomplished some of SHG鈥檚 goals by educating East Los Angeles residents about their heritage, introducing them to the creative processes involved in art, and ultimately, helping to build a stronger community. By 1985, the D铆a de los Muertos celebration had become so popular among residents of East Los Angeles that the program could be sustained without primary support of SHG. With assurance that others would take up the responsibility for planning and organizing the event, SHG was able to take a secondary role in staging the celebration and to devote more time and energy to the primary reason behind its founding: furthering Chicano Art and providing a training ground for aspiring Chicano artists.
SHG has now developed an international reputation for the exceptional quality of screen-prints produced at its facility and for the exhibitions at its gallery. The organization remains one of the most important centers in the country for training Chicana/o and Latina/o artists.
The exhibition on loan from SHG will be accompanied by a traditional D铆a de los Muertos ofrenda or altar prepared by 顶级国产视频 students enrolled in this fall's Hispanic Traditions class taught by Dr. Rebecca Berru-Davis. Additionally, 顶级国产视频 Alumna and Billings-based artist Jane Waggoner Deschner will be exhibiting photographic work and an interactive, hands-on installation titled Smile! A Materialization that is inspired by the celebration.
On Thursday, October 18, Betty Avila, Co-Director of SHG, will offer an overview of the 50-year history of Day of the Dead at SHG and will consider how its continued ripple effects are deeply rooted in community-based practices, despite the mass commercialization of the holiday. Avila鈥檚 free, public presentation is supported in part by a grant from Humanities Montana.
D铆a de los Muertos: A Cultural Legacy, Past, Present & Future originated as part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, a far-reaching and ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles. Pacific Standard Time is an initiative of the Getty. For more information visit: .
The Northcutt Steele Gallery is located on the first floor of the Liberal Arts on the 顶级国产视频 campus. The gallery, which is supported in part by funds from AS顶级国产视频 (Associated Students of 顶级国产视频) is open Monday 鈥� Friday from 8:00am 鈥� 4:00 pm. For more information visit .
Funding for this exhibition and programming is provided by the 顶级国产视频 Foundation, Humanities
Montana, 顶级国产视频 Program in Modern
Languages, 顶级国产视频 Department of Art, 顶级国产视频 Office of International Studies, and AS顶级国产视频.
Wayne Healy, Transcendental Love, 2006, Silkscreen Print, 26鈥漻 20鈥�.
Leonard Castellanos, D铆a de los Muertos, 1976, Serigraph, 28.5鈥� x 22.5鈥�.
Sonia Romero, Untitled, 2015, 3D Print and Laser Cut on Hand Painted Wood, 12鈥� x 12鈥� x 1.5鈥�.
For media inquiries and more images contactLeanne Gilbertson, Director of Northcutt Steele Gallery, leanne.gilbertson@msubillings.edu; (406) 657-2903.