This weekend turned out to be a nearly perfect weekend, complete with a trip to our local farmer’s market, quality time with my husband, and our first ever evening spent relaxing in front of a roaring fireplace. But the highlight? The very best part of the weekend entirely? It was the Dia de los Muertos exhibit at the Canoga Park Youth Arts Center.
The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center is housed in a beautiful 1927 Spanish-style building that was originally the Canoga Park Telephone Exchange. Today it is a place where children and teenagers go to explore their creativity. This exhibit was so wonderful it made me want to have babies just so I can send them there to learn about art.
The exhibit included photography, sculpture, original paintings, and elaborate ofrendas. These photos are of a display that, I’m guessing, was a collaborative effort by many of the students. Using cardboard, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, sculpey, and various repurposed household items such as bottle caps and discarded earrings, the children created a whimsical world that playfully pokes fun at death while honoring the lives of those who have passed.
I was completely knocked out. First of all, the talent of these kids blew me away and second, the simplicity of the materials they used, and how beautifully they used them, absolutely took my breath away. This display in particular was one of the most enchanting things I’ve ever seen.
I could practically feel the joy emanating from this display. It was obvious that it had been a labor of love, and a fun one at that. I walked away uplifted and inspired. I want to make my own now. In fact, I even set aside my first cardboard box today. It’s a heavy duty one that will be perfect for a church or something. I can’t wait.
To see photos from past Dia de los Muertos exhibits, click here. To check out some of the other pictures I took of the exhibit, click here.
