Works of Art that Honor a Day of Celebration of Life’s Continuity 

In late October, GDS students in the Lower and Middle School divisions contributed art to a collaborative altar display in the LMS Lobby for Dia De Los Muertos. Now an annual tradition at GDS, the students created various works of art that are traditionally included on the altar, including ofrendas, or offerings set up to honor the deceased, with the focus on joyful remembrance. 

Taking place on November 1st and 2nd, Día de los Muertos began in Mexico, and is now celebrated worldwide to honor the continuity between life and death and the memory of deceased loved ones. Celebrations include family gatherings, cemetery visits, parades and festivals with figures in brightly colored costumes, along with the creation of altars with items, including ofrendas, created to honor the deceased. 

LMS Art teacher Ashley Ortiz said that initially she and her colleagues chose to make the day a focus of the students’ artworks because they felt it important to distinguish Dia de Los Muertos from Halloween, as they appear similar and they're so close to each other on the calendar.  

Launching the collaborative altar project a year after COVID allowed the art department to expand the project and support students. “The altar was something I felt was really important to have at GDS, because often children, and even adults, can be scared of death,” said Ashley. “I love to teach about the history of Dia de los Muertos because I think it provides a different view of death than we typically have in mainstream American culture—that and we simply don't talk about it.” 

So soon after the worldwide pandemic, the first altar provided an opportunity for students to process a heavy subject. “The focus on the holiday became a focus more on celebrating the lives of their loved ones, rather than just on mourning their loss,” Ashley said.

Now in its fourth year, the annual collaborative project provides more than the study of culture and the practice of art, but also a sense of connection and community. It often works as an avenue for cultivating mutual support and understanding among the students and a safe space to express and process deep emotions. 

The students’ ofrendas included personally relevant items, such as photos of deceased relatives, celebrities they admired, and pets; the altar included the traditional adornments of candles (in this case the safety kind), and offerings of their or the deceased’s favorite foods—which the 6th graders made likenesses of with ceramics.

Every year, the project has grown, with more grades participating. “On our Instagram, you can see the changes,” said LMS Art Teacher Jenn Heffernan. “This is the biggest one we've ever done. This year, the addition of the food (that the 6th graders worked on) was amazing. We felt as if this is what we'd been missing.” 

Since the project began, Ashley has had positive feedback from parents. 

“Sometimes the students’ subjects were people that they'd never even known, like grandparents, and they would have a conversation at the table with their parents, about who they were and what they liked,” said Ashley. “We’re celebrating the spirit of the person, who they were, and what they brought into our lives.” 

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