(Above: Corazon de los Muertos by artist Aunia Kahn is part of the Maude Kerns Art Center’s 27th annual art exhibit.)
By Randi Bjornstad
This year’s Día de los Muertos show at the Maude Kerns Art Center is the 27th annual celebration of the hybrid Aztec/Roman Catholic that commemorates the annual harvest and at the same time venerates the memories and souls of the dear departed.
Mija Andrade’s dolls commemorate her cultural heritage in Oaxaca, Mexico
Historically, the holiday draws its traditions from the ancient harvest rituals of the early indigenous people of Mexico, melding them with the later Roman Catholic rituals of All Souls Day and All Saints Day (Nov. 1 and 2) brought to — and imposed upon — the people of Central America by the Spanish Conquistadors.
The fiesta includes cooking of favorite foods, creation of altars to honor the dead, and much music, dancing and gaiety, all designed to entice the spirits of no-longer-living relatives to return to rejoin their relatives and enjoy the festivities.
As always, the Maude Kerns observance will feature a show of artwork by area painters, sculptors, and craftspeople, altars to the dead created by individuals or community groups, plus a special version of the art center’s lobby gift shop amassed by Suzanne Algara of Buganvilla Imports, offering authentic crafts created by Mexican artists that reflect the season and its observance.
This year, the gallery exhibit includes a wide variety of work by 29 artists, ranging from painting, sculpture, and photography to textile, prints, and assemblage. The show opens Oct. 9 and runs through Nov. 2.
This year being this year, however — and 2020 has been a year like no other in recent memory — there also will be changes from usual. Requirements for wearing masks and maintaining social distance will be in effect according to Oregon Health Authority guidelines regarding the coronavirus epidemic. For those who don’t feel comfortable coming in person, the exhibit also will be available for viewing either in person or online, at mkartcenter.org. Artwork available for sale may be purchased either in person or online.
Alan Ott’s Corona Queen represents the coronavirus pursuing its victims
The variety of creations on display includes fabric dolls by Eugene artist Mija Andrade through which she explores the art, clothing, and culture of her Mexican heritage in Oaxaca. One of the most unusual pieces is Corona Queen, a huge metal sculpture by Eugene artist Alan Ott in the form of a creature that represents the taker of life and which he dedicates to those who have died of or experienced the trauma of loss from the Covid-19 pandemic. Mavis Leahy, of Silverton, brings several of her pieces that combine found objects, textiles and quilting to evoke the Día de los Muertos celebrations of Los Angeles, where she grew up.
Several of the altars in the show are devoted to the memory of specific people, including one by the art center’s Duchess Committee devoted to the memory of the organization’s namesake, Maude Kerns, and another by community members Hannah Goldrich, Marion Malcolm, and Carol Van Houten, dedicated to Steven Deutsch, a founder of the Labor Education & Research Center at the University of Oregon.
Other altars honor close family members, such as Las Gran Tias, commemorating “the great aunts” in the lives of Andrade and her mother, and Toni Goldenberg’s creation dedicated to her sister.
Día de los Muertos at the Maude Kerns Art Center
When: Oct. 9 through Nov. 2
Where: 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene (corner of 15th and Villard streets) or online at mkartcenter.org
Details: Masks and social distancing required according to state of Oregon and Oregon Health Authority guidelines
Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday
Information: 541-345-1571 or mkartcenter.org
