Grupo MIZTLI Noviembre 2 en New York

Art Centro, 485 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, to host a week long Day of the Dead celebration

Poughkeepsie, NY – Hudson River Housing’s Middle Main Initiative, Grupo MIZTLI, Grupo Folclórico de Poughkeepsie, Vassar College’s MEChA and interested community members have partnered to present a week long Day of the Dead art exhibition and cultural celebration at Art Centro, Poughkeepsie’s newest arts and cultural space.

Day of the Dead, or in spanish El Día de los Muertos, is a Mexican holiday which reflects the belief in the duality of life and death. The dead continue to exist and return annually to visit their loved ones. They are welcomed with altars and offerings of the things they loved most.

Monica Maria Ramirez, one of the artists participating in the Day of the Dead art exhibition at Art Centro, states “Each of us, every day, is between life and death… In this art exhibit you will see my personal transformations through life and death, happiness and pain, light and shadow.”

An opening reception for the Day of the Dead exhibition will take place on October 26, from 6 pm to 8 pm. In exhibit will be Day of the Dead inspired paintings from 14 Mexican American artists from throughout the United States. Also featured will be three Day of the Dead community altars. Light refreshments and appetizers will be provided.

On November 1, from 5:30 pm to 6 pm, Hudson River Housing’s Middle Main initiative will host a Middle Main Meet & Greet, and from 6 pm – 7 pm, there will be an interactive and educative Language Exchange, with the Day of the Dead as the theme for conversation in English and Spanish.

A Grand Day of the Dead Celebration will be held on November 2, from 3:30 pm – 7 pm. All are invited to enjoy this Day of the Dead art exhibition one last time. There will be children’s activities, dance performances by Grupo Folclórico de Poughkeepsie, live music from Mariachi Sol Mixteco, traditional Mexican food and refreshments, and more.

All programs are free and open to the public. All are welcomed.

“This Day of the Dead celebration shows that strength comes through unity,” states Felipe Santos, Director of Grupo Folclórico de Poughkeepsie. “We have much local, and even out-of-state, support for this event. This is truly a collaborative effort to share our Mexican cultural heritage.”

For more information, please visit middlemain.com or artcentro.org.