Dias de los Muertos - Day of the Dead - is just around the corner! 

Ofrendas, or altars, by 14 artists and three community groups with personal stories related to Días de los Muertos are highlighted in the Oakland Museum of California's (OMCA) 17th annual Days of the Dead observance and exhibition, on view in the Museum's Gallery of California Art, through Dec. 11.

The exhibition "Love & Loss: Días de los Muertos 2011" investigates the significance of ofrendas and showcases the intimate and sacred spaces in which they are shared.



Celebrated annually between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, the Mesoamerican tradition of Days of the Dead, or Días de los Muertos, is widely associated with iconic and colorful elements-such as sugar skulls, marigolds and altars, or ofrendas-arranged or created in honor of deceased loved ones. OMCA's annual Muertos celebration has been one of the Bay Area's most popular community events, drawing thousands of participants annually.

"There is no other event that better embodies what OMCA is all about," Executive Director Lori Fogarty said. "OMCA was founded as a 'museum of the people' and Dìas de los Muertos is a tradition that serves as a vibrant reminder that our celebrations and times of coming together define who we are as individuals and communities."

Examples of altars featured in the exhibition include:

• Xochitl Nevel Gerrero and Roberto Guerrero in their installation "The Dance of Struggle and Love" honor their long time friend Rebecca "Ruby" Pacheco. Ruby loved life as a teacher and spent most of her life community as a social justice activist and artist.
• Joaquin A. Newman honors his maternal grandfather Francisco in his installation "The Ring." His grandfather was a World War II veteran, a family man and a coach who trained boxers. The lessons he taught his fighters, family and friends went beyond the ring and continue to guide those who remember them.
• Amalia Mesa Bains honors the women in her life who have embodied strength, spiritual guidance and values of cultural memory in her installation "The Vanity of Guadalupe and her Daughters."
• Lead artist Alicia Diaz worked with grieving families from the Clinica de la Raza, Casa de Sol and Sutter Health, VNA Hospice in Emeryville to create nicho (niche) boxes honoring the lives of departed loved ones.
• Consuelo Jimenez Underwood honors her father and the struggle of immigrants crossing the border.
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  Artists featured in the exhibition include:

Amalia Mesa Bains, Chris Granillo, Xochitl Nevel Guerrero, Roberto Guerrero, Rubén Guzmán Campos, Joaquin Newman, Ernesto Hernández Olmos, Dee Dee Rodriguez, Tessie Scharaga, Consuelo Jiménez Underwood, Andres Cisneros Galindo, Irene Perez, Rafael Jesús González and Hermina Albarran Romero.
 
The exhibition is guest curated by Patricia Rodríguez, Chicana artist, educator and co-founder of Bay Area art collective "Mujeres Muralistas." "Love & Loss: Días de los Muertos 2011" is made possible in part by generous support from the Oakland Museum Women's Board.