Dia De Los Muertos Celebration Brings Street Art, Scholars And Skulls To National Steinbeck Center
Save the Date and Celebrate First Friday at The National Steinbeck Center for the annual Dia de los Muertos program on Friday, Nov. 1.
- Salinas, CA (1888PressRelease) October 28, 2013 - On Friday, Nov. 1, from 5-8 PM, the National Steinbeck Center proudly presents its annual Dia de los Muertos program as part of its monthly FREE First Friday event.
The evening will feature two new exhibit openings - Salinas artist Liam Da Leo's debut museum exhibition RTS: Respect Through Sacrifice and Mexican Folk Art Exhibition: Alma Artesian. The event also includes a special reading by renowned Steinbeck scholar Susan Shillinglaw, who will present from her new book Carol & John: Portrait of a Marriage.
Da Leo's graffiti style blends images of traditional Mexican pop culture and iconography - street vendor displays, famous television and movie idols, religious figures - with bright, vibrant colors and old school graffiti technique. In keeping with the graffiti theme, a DJ and breakdancing crew will perform.
Mexican Folk Art Exhibition: Alma Artesian ties in with the Dia de los Muertos celebration. The exhibit, on loan from the Monterey Museum of Art, features paper-mache sculptures, known as cartoneria, created by the internationally known Linares family of Mexico City. The family's work incorporates images of life-size skeletons, skulls, Judas figures and fantastic creatures called alebrejes.
Susan Shillinglaw's new book, "Carol & John: Portrait of a Marriage," focuses on Steinbeck's first wife, Carol Henning Steinbeck. She was the creative anchor and inspiration for his great work in the 1930s, culminating in The Grapes of Wrath. Susan will discuss the couple's legendary visit to Mexico, as well as sign books.
The evening schedule includes:
• 5-5:30 PM: DJ & Breakdancers on Front Patio
• 5:50-6:10 PM: YoSal Students perform on front patio
• 6:15-6:40 PM: TBD
• 6:45 - 7:30 PM: Guest speaker Susan Shillinglaw in Santa Rita Room
The evening also features face painting and children's art project activities with local group Artist's Ink, a performance by YoSal, community Dia de los Muertos altars displayed throughout the National Steinbeck Center, pan dulce and hot chocolate.
About the National Steinbeck Center
The National Steinbeck Center is located at One Main Street in Salinas, California, the birthplace of John Steinbeck. It is a museum and cultural institution with a mission to engage people in the exploration of culture, issues and the arts relevant to our times, inspired by the words of John Steinbeck. The Center offers multiple visitor experiences: the John Steinbeck Exhibition Hall and changing art and cultural exhibits with a variety of education and public programs. For more information about this and other events, visit our website at www.steinbeck.org.
For Media Inquiries, contact:
Marcos Cabrera
Curator of Marketing & Community Engagement
(831) 775-4722
marcos ( @ ) steinbeck dot org
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