Sunday October 18 – Sunday, October 25

Live Streaming of altar creation through the MOLAA YouTube Channel (Times to be announced):

Artist nauj leunam (Juan Silverio) will create a paper altar with YOUR help! Share an image of a loved one along with their name, date of birth and death and a message and your contribution will be included in our virtual altar! The installation will be live-streamed throughout the week (Times TBD) through the MOLAA YouTube Channel. Your contribution will enter you into an opportunity drawing to win prizes by Hyundai! Use hashtag #DoDMOLAA and #DoDHyundai

To send your submission for the altar, view the requirements and complete the form here: http://molaa.org/2020-dod-virtual-altar-form. you can also send your submission to dod_2020@molaa.org

Social Media

Participate in the prize drawing for the best Day of the Dead inspired costume posted to Instagram using the hashtag #DoDMOLAA and #DoDHyundai. Winner to be announced after November 2, 2020.

Sunday October 18

Family Workshop: Milagro Retablo with Maria Guadalupe (Live Bilingual Workshop) 

2PM – 3PM, PDT

Kick off our Dia de los muertos celebration with a Free Sunday Family Workshop! Maria Guadalupe will walk you through the steps of making your own milagro, a Mexican votive charm often used as an offering. Using just heavy-duty foil, markers, and a shoebox lid or piece of cardboard, you can make a uniquely decorated retablo that reflects your family history! 

As a woman born in Mexico and raised in the United States, Maria Guadalupe’s work navigates multiple spaces, including migration, pilgrimage, gender roles/gender markers, the boundaries of class, as well as the in-between space created as a result of her hybrid culture. Through sculpture and print, she celebrates and critically engages the expectations of gender, culture, and identity. 

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M3reiR7jSkmTBKrKd25A0w 

Download the template of designs for the Milagro workshop HERE.

Tuesday, October 20 

After School Workshop: Calavera Puppets with Carmen V. Argote (Pre-recorded Bilingual Workshop) 

4PM – 5PM PDT 

Calaveras (skeletons) are a classic symbol of Dia de los Muertos, often depicted in joyous scenes, dancing, eating and drinking! In this afternoon workshop you are invited to make your own calavera using a pre-provided template. Carmen V. Argote will show you how to build, adapt, and decorate the template to make a puppet that you can bring to life! 

A materials list will be distributed after registration.

Carmen V. Argote was born in Mexico and has worked with students in and around Los Angeles for more than 20 years. Her interest in teaching is to continue promoting the cultural roots and diversity of Latin America. She seeks to engage people in envisioning different futures for themselves and others and encourage artists to see that they are connected and belong to a movement of change and knowing.  

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q1Imrt3-T5SYCYxOgQAijw 

Wednesday, October 21

Sounds of the Ancestors: A Mindfulness Meditation Session with Martin Espino using indigenous instruments

12 PM PDT

Since 1975, Martin Espino has researched the music and culture of Ancient Mexico, concentrating on the instruments and their ancient and present-day musical practices! Martin's indigenous heritage is Tepehuano (Father) and Yaqui (Mother) ancestry. His grandparents are from the states of Durango and Sonora. In 1966, he began playing music at age 11. By age 13 he was teaching his peers.

Since then he has become a very well rounded musician, in that he was first, "street trained" (playing by ear), then "classically trained" and finally, "folklore/indígena trained". In 1978, he graduated from Immaculate Heart College in Hollywood with a "Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance with Honors” in Classical Guitar and performance on instruments of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. Already an artist since a very early age, he was inspired to study about his ancient heritage after seeing indigenous dancers from Mexico on T.V. He was about 6-7 years old when he first saw them. Back in 1975, when he decided to play these instruments, he did not know that he would become one of the very first musicians in North America to play Ancient Mexican instruments. 47 years later, he had become a recognized scholar and authority on these instruments!

Continuing his constant experimental hunger, Martin now incorporates at certain shows modern technologies with indigenous instruments and has worked with DJ Hap, DJ Omid and DJ Ed808. Martin's latest adventure for his experimental music side is called ELECTRA AZTECA, mixing indigenous Mexican instruments with High technology, creating an uplifting groove-oriented music!

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kmJ_1DyjSdKhTr_vDhHKIA

Thursday, October 22

Sugar Skull Painting Workshop with Abel Rodriguez of El Comalito Collective. (Live Bilingual Workshop)

6PM - 7PM PDT

Join artist Abel Rodríguez for a step-by-step painting lesson for the entire family. Using a pre-provided template, he will teach you how to paint a sugar skull! You will only need the template, a pencil, paint, brush, and an 8” x 10” canvas, canvas panel, or any other sturdy backing. Abel Rodríguez is a Queer Xicano artist who was born in Fairfield, CA in 1979. He received a MFA degree in Painting from Yale School of Art in 2010, and a BFA in Drawing and Painting and Graphic Design from California State University, Long Beach in 2007. He was selected to participate in the Artist in Residence Program at Recology, S.F. in 2011. He has exhibited nationwide and currently works and resides in Vallejo, CA. El Comalito Collective is an art gallery and community space that showcases underrepresented artists through a variety of media that spark consciousness. Our mission is to create networks that build support and foster opportunities for marginalized voices through works that explore the intersections of (but not limited to) race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and gender, through a decolonial lens. This is a space for and by community. El Comalito Collective promises to deliver programming for the community which will include workshops, the showcasing of artwork, and proposals made by the community.

Once you register, you will receive a reminders, materials list, stencils and templates to be used during the workshop.

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xZeOuVFZQZ2fgZ592q3SIw

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 

Papel Picado Lanterns with MOLAA Getty Intern Isabella Duco-Figueroa 

2:00 – 2:20PM PDT 

MOLAA’s 2020 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern, Isabella Duco-Figueroa, walks you through a demonstration of Papel Picado Lanterns! As a part of her internship, Isabella has developed a series of art projects related to Recuerdos, Tradiciones, and Simbolos. You will only need the provided template, a brown paper bag, scissors, and tape for this fun project! 

Isabella Leticia Duco-Figueroa was born in Rancho Mirage California and draws inspiration from her multicultural background: Filipino, Puerto Rican, and Mexican American. Raised in Long Beach California, she is influenced daily by the diversity that the city fosters. She is currently enrolled as an undergraduate student in sculpture at California State University, Long Beach. Her work takes a cross disciplinary approach utilizing sculpture, illustration, painting, stop motion animation, and photography. Exploration and creative problem solving is the driving force in her work and her mission as an artist is to spread positivity and to inspire many to love themselves. 

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2a-xenDCTrud9f6iCgxSiQ 

Monday, October 26

Hot Chocolate & Pan de Muerto with Gusto Bread (Live Demonstration & Talk) 

6PM – 7PM PDT

Join panadero Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread for a traditional hot chocolate demonstration followed by a presentation on pan de muerto: the seasonal pan dulce made for Día de los Muertos. Arturo will dive into his family's relationship to this celebration, and explain how he came to develop his own recipe for a naturally leavened whole foods version of this pan dulce, which has become an Autumn staple at his Long Beach bakery. A Q&A will take place afterwards, so please come with your questions about this very unique traditional bread! Plus, stay until the end of the webinar and Arturo will let you in on what he's planning to do to make the last week of Pan de Muerto at Gusto Bread this year even more special! 

Arturo Enciso is a baker from Lebec, CA that has called Long Beach his home for over 10 years. His early days in Long Beach were filled with music and community, being a part of grass roots organizations and events, and simply living the good life the city has to offer. As a self-taught baker for the last 7+ years, he’s grown his hobby into a career with his business Gusto Bread, a panadería orgánica (organic bakery) on Retro Row in Long Beach (storefront just opened in August 2020). The bakery uses only masa madre (sourdough) for making breads and pan dulces, embracing ancient knowledge and using only organic products. He believes that good food and bread provide a beautiful way for people to connect with one another, to traditions and wisdom of the past and create community for a brighter future together.

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TBNas8RXSb6Z1e2Pj-4aMw

Tuesday, October 27 

Live Set with DJ KATRA 

7 - 8 PM PDT 

Join DJ KATRA as they create a sonic experience that takes the audience on an hour-long journey through the sounds and artistry of the Americas and the diaspora, with an emphasis on sounds produced by queer, trans, and indigenous artists. 

KATRA is a New York-based DJ and cultural producer. Their sets pay homage to their Honduran roots by mixing Punta with Neo-Perreo, Dembow, and experimental sounds from Latin America. KATRA began DJing at their college radio station and since then they’ve had residencies at The Catalyst Club and Radio Bonita. 

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMqceChqTguE92EmCIB9kAuMtmBh_6aTAFG 

Wednesday, October 28

Dia de los Muertos Zoom Project: In Conversation with Amalia Mesa-Bains (Live Conversation)

11AM – 12PM PDT 

MOLAA Chief Curator Gabriela Urtiaga in conversation with artist and scholar Amalia Mesa-Bains on the ofrenda in contemporary art at 11:00 AM PDT  

Amalia Mesa-Bains (US, b. 1943) is an internationally renowned artist, scholar, and curator. Throughout her career, Mesa-Bains has expanded understandings of Latina/ o artists’ references to spiritual practices and vernacular traditions through her altar installations, articles, and exhibitions, and in 1992; she was awarded a Distinguished Fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation. Her work has been shown at institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art at Phillip Morris, and the New Museum and international venues in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ireland, Sweden, England France and Spain. As a cultural critic she has co-authored along with bell hooks of Homegrown: Engaged Cultural Criticism. She founded and directed the Visual and Public Art department at California State University at Monterey Bay where she is now Professor Emerita. 

Gabriela Urtiaga is an Art historian, curator, and journalist. She is currently the Chief Curator of the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California. She was curator of the XIV Biennial of Curitiba, Brazil (2019/2020), and was the Chief Curator of the Kirchner Cultural Center (CCK) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 2016 and 2019. She has carried out numerous curatorships and developed artistic projects in collaboration with international institutions such as Foundation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, La Maison Rouge, Le Bibliothèque nationale (France); the CentroCentro and MACBA (Spain); the MACRO Museum (Italy); the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (Chile); the Centro Cultural Recoleta, and the Museo Sívori (Argentina), among others.Throughout her career she has worked with prominent Latin American artists and those from the rest of the world such as Marta Minujín, Judy Baca, Julio Le Parc, Rimer Cardillo, Tomás Saraceno, Delia Cancela, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jean Michel Othoniel, Marie Orensanz, Marco Godinho , among others. She has also developed platforms for the dissemination of emerging artists in Argentina. She has published books and articles on contemporary Latin American art and has lectured at numerous museums, art fairs and universities. She is a member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the International Committee of Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM). 

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_I5FveXtaQzCCmqUNaiyrAw

Child-Made Ofrendas with Maggie Solórzano-Muñetón  

5PM – 6PM PDT 

Join Maggie Solórzano-Muñetón for a discussion on the significance of child-made ofrendas on your Día de muertos altar. Learn about the cempohualxochitl, the Día de muertos flower, and the huitzilin, or hummingbird, their relationship to Día de muertos, and the flower’s leyenda. Participants will create a tissue paper cempohualxochitl and paper huitzilin as ofrendas that will also help guide retellings of the cempohualxochitl leyenda while maintaining oral traditions alive. 

Maggie Solórzano-Muñetón is a local dual language educator and ancestor in training, whose work emphasizes her passion for integrating identity, language & culture within the early education field, nurturing a humanistic approach to education, promoting children’s social & emotional well-being, as well as building school, family & community partnerships. Maggie received a M.A. degree in Dual Language Development, a CA Bilingual PK-12 Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential, and a B.A. in Child Development from California State University, Long Beach. As she continued her teaching career in the community, Maggie founded Semillitas Preschool in 2012 and received a CA Administrative Services Preliminary Credential from Loyola Marymount University in 2014. Maggie is currently transitioning Semillitas Preschool to Semillitas- Educación, Comunidad y Cultura, a Long Beach children’s learning community offering Spanish immersion classes through experiential learning, connections with ancestral practices honoring Madre Tierra, indigenous languages and teachings, creative expression, critical thinking, and collaboration for advocacy towards social justice. 

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUkcOCupjwtHtVBOVp6-kTQ5JvFPkj1t6R8

Thursday, October 29

Día de los Muertos Nicho Workshop with Edgar-Arturo Camacho-González (Bilingual Workshop)

6PM – 7PM 

Honor an ancestor or revered member of the community by building them a Dia de los Muertos Nicho (diorama)! Edgar-Arturo Camacho-Gonzalez of El Comalito Collective will lead this step-by-step process, which includes cutting out a pre-provided template, gluing, and painting or coloring. Be sure to prepare a printed digital image, or image cut from a magazine, of the individual you are honoring!

Once you register, you will receive a reminder, materials list, stencils and templates to be used during the workshop.

Edgar-Arturo Camacho-González is a queer Xicano community activist, artist, and poet living on occupied Ohlone land. He is committed to making the communities he is part of safe, vibrant and welcoming for all by networking with people who seek to change the world through a decolonial lens. Edgar-Arturo is a co-founder of El Comalito Collective and and is the Chair of the Vallejo Food & Art Walk. 

El Comalito Collective is an art gallery and community space that showcases underrepresented artists through a variety of media that spark consciousness. Our mission is to create networks that build support and foster opportunities for marginalized voices through works that explore the intersections of (but not limited to) race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and gender, through a decolonial lens. This is a space for and by community. El Comalito Collective promises to deliver programming for the community which will include workshops, the showcasing of artwork, and proposals made by the community. 

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hnS9GedUSqSrpTaiAe2fqQ

Friday, October 30 

Discussing Moles and tradition with Chef Luis Navarro from Lola’s Mexican Cuisine and Griselda Suárez from Arts Council for Long Beach (Pre-recorded)

12:30 - 1:30 PM PDT

Join a conversation between Chef Luis Navarro and Griselda Suárez as they talk about the history of mole, its meaning and tradition as part of their family heritage.

Griselda Suárez is a writer, artist, cook, and a teacher. She was born in unincorporated East Los Angeles and walked Whittier Blvd and Brooklyn Ave in black and white saddle shoes. She grew up in a place where her thoughts did not easily find voice; instead, she found a pen and paper. Her hometown inspires her to investigate memories of a home space that continues to be bodiless. She believes that the arts are essential in empowering others to express their thoughts. Throughout her career, she has created programming and trainings dedicated to facilitating transformation and creating agency for her communities. In 2016, she became the Executive Director of the Arts Council for Long Beach. Most recently, Griselda was awarded “40 under 40” by the LB Post for her leadership in the arts and her resiliency in battling cancer. Suarez is dedicated to Long Beach and loves contributing to the city because she strongly believes in the impact of local impact arts has on residents’ lives.

Chef Luis Navarro has dedicated his career to learning and traveling through all of Mexico’s enchanting regions, from Veracruz, Mexico City, Yucatan, Baja California, and Oaxaca studying the craft of the local cuisine, and indigenous ingredients. Established in 2007, the Navarro family has always had a love affair with Mexican food. Their grandmother passed down her recipes to Lola when she was just a little girl growing up in Guadalajara Mexico. Everything made from scratch and that is exactly what you can expect at Lola’s.

Get the recipes from the session here!

• Mole Negro

• Mole Poblano

• Mole Verde

• Pistacho Mole

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Iq0uGh9GSPmpg6AgCfbuQw

Alebrijes Workshop (Pre-recorded Workshop) 

6:00PM PDT 

María Guadalupe shows you how to transform simple ceramic animals into colorful alebrijes, animal figurines traditionally carved of wood and painted in bright patterns. MOLAA will provide 25 participants with free mini painting kits which include: one ceramic figurine, four mini tubs of acrylic paint and two brushes. Kits will be distributed on a first come, first served basis this Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, October 25th, from 12PM to 4PM. They must be picked up at the museum located at 628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90804. Limit four kits per family or one per person. 

As a woman born in Mexico and raised in the United States, Maria Guadalupe’s work navigates multiple spaces, including migration, pilgrimage, gender roles/gender markers, the boundaries of class, as well as the in-between space created as a result of her hybrid culture. 

Through sculpture and print, she celebrates and critically engages the expectations of gender, culture, and identity. 

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qxZ3LdTmQLyKNqgpbQvW5Q

Saturday, October 31

Dia de los Muertos Zoom Project: In Conversation with Tania Candiani (Live Conversation) 

11AM – 12PM PDT 

MOLAA Chief Curator Gabriela Urtiaga in conversation with Mexican artist Tania Candiani on her project Reverencia, Serie Penachos 

Tania Candiani (Mexico, b. 1974) was born in Mexico City. Candiani works in a variety of media and practices at the crossroads of different languages systems, including phonic, graphic, linguistic, symbolic, and technological. The translation across distinct systems of representation is essential in the creation of her work. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship for the Arts (2011), a National System of Art Creators in Mexico Fellowship (2012-2014; 2017-2019), and an Artist Research Fellowship from the Smithsonian Institution (2018). Candiani represented Mexico at the 56th International Venice Biennial in 2015. Her work has been exhibited in museums, institutions, and independent spaces around the world and is part of important public and private collections, including the Museum of Latin American Art, Los Angeles, US; San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, US; among many others. 

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zTqq47f1SKKbf_NkexcBxg

Day of the Dead Inspired Make Up Tutorial with Monica Maldonado 

3PM - 3:30PM PDT

Monica Maldonado is a Mexican American makeup artist born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. with over 14 years of professional makeup artistry background.  She studied theater arts and obtained her degree in Makeup and Costume Design from California State University, Fullerton. Her passion began in beauty that catered to weddings and special events. Her extensive career experience set about as an FX artist at Knott's Berry Farm and continued in beauty retail where she’s managed stores for companies like NYX Professional Makeup and Riley Rose. Monica continues to grow her skills by participating in cultural events and sharing her talent with those who want to learn. 

Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PrdC9aZYTq6jDpxjJbmtTw 

Sunday, November 1

Virtual Community Ofrenda with leunam nauj  

2PM – 3PM PDT 

Join us for the official unveiling of the final MOLAA Virtual Ofrenda and a presentation about the process of building the altar by artist nauj leunam (Juan Silverio). Perhaps you’ll see your contribution on our paper altar!

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T1vOGmsgSgGm1sR0WpN1pw

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Credits & Sponsors

MOLAA is generously supported, in part, by the Robert Gumbiner Foundation and by a grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach and the City of Long Beach.