Monique Lopez, Amor Eterno, 2025
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tim Etheridge tim@etheridgepr.com 415.786.1377 |
SOMArts’ In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026
Honors Mothering as an Act of Care, Love, and Revolution
Curated by Bridgètt Rex and Rio Yañez
Opening Reception: Friday, October 23, 6–9 PM
On view October 24–November 20, 2026
Closing Reception & Día de Los Muertos Drag Show: Friday, November 20, 6–9 PM
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — September 22, 2026 — SOMArts Cultural Center proudly announces its 27th annual Día de Los Muertos exhibition, In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026, on view October 24 through November 20, 2026. Curated by Bridgètt Rex and Rio Yañez, this year’s exhibition honors the ancestral memory, love, and devotion carried across generations by mother figures and those who mother as an act of care and revolution.
Continuing the legacy of the annual exhibition founded by beloved artist and curator René Yañez, In Their Name honors Día de Los Muertos’ Mexican roots while creating space for artists and communities to explore the many ways we remember, celebrate, grieve, and carry forward the people who have shaped us. From communities and movements to house and drag mothers, birth and chosen families, mothering is a collective and reciprocal process of liberation. In Their Name considers how acts of care can nurture resistance, dismantle cycles of patriarchal harm, and shape the values and sense of justice we carry into the future.
“Día de los Muertos has always been at the heart of SOMArts’ commitment to community, remembrance, and cultural expression. For 27 years, this exhibition has created a space where artists and audiences can come together to honor those who came before us while imagining the kind of world we want to carry forward,” says Maria Jenson, SOMArts’ Creative & Executive Director. “In Their Name reminds us that mothering takes many forms—through birth and chosen family, through community and movement, and through the people who care for us, guide us, and help us become who we are. We are honored to celebrate those acts of love and care as powerful forces for connection, resilience, and change.”
In keeping with the tradition of Día de Los Muertos, the exhibition will include personal altars dedicated to loved ones who have passed. This year’s exhibition is dedicated to Tosha Stimage, with an altar created by artists Elizabeth Blancas, Angela Hennessey, and Matthew Craven. The dedication honors Tosha’s life and legacy through a collective act of remembrance and care.
Featured artists include the Friends & Family of Tosha, Ancestral Dreams Collective, and Jonn Carlo Segovia Menchaca, alongside Adrian Arias & Lindsey Crawford, Crystal de Alba, David Tafolla, Ella SF, Iris & Lorena, I Witness Silwan , Art Forces, Ramadan, Lana, Monique Lopez, Pin@y Educational Partnerships, Rhiannon Evans MacFadyen, and Vianne De Santiago.
“I hope this exhibit gives visitors an opportunity to reflect on the multitude of ways mother figures have shaped our lives, our values, and our sense of justice,” says curator Rio Yañez.
Curator Bridgètt Rex adds: “I hope that those visiting this exhibition are inspired to see how much an act of care, or sequences of care, or simply a compassionate mindset can affect those around them, both within their own spheres and, ultimately, the world.”
Rex also invites visitors to consider creating their own altars. “I hope visitors consider making an altar of their own by themselves or with loved ones in a way that they see fit for themselves. This unique take on what an altar could be like is something very special.”
The exhibition opens with an Opening Reception on Friday, October 23, from 6–9 PM, featuring performances and a Día de Los Muertos-inspired artist market showcasing handcrafted goods from local artisans, makers, and small businesses.
The exhibition culminates with the Día de Los Muertos Drag Show & Closing Reception on Friday, November 20, from 6–9 PM. The evening offers a final opportunity to experience the exhibition and features a Day of the Dead drag show exploring drag as an altar.
Both opening and closing events are a $15 suggested donation; youth 16 and under are free; and no one is turned away for lack of funds (NOTAFLOF). Exhibition admission during regular gallery hours is free and open to all ages.
CALENDAR LISTINGS
WHERE
SOMArts Cultural Center
934 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
EXHIBITION RUN
Saturday, October 24–Friday, November 20, 2026
OPENING RECEPTION
Friday, October 23, 6–9 PM
$15 suggested donation; youth 16 and under free; all ages; NOTAFLOF
Performances and a Día de Los Muertos-inspired artist market featuring handcrafted goods by local artisans, makers, and small businesses.
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS DRAG SHOW & CLOSING RECEPTION
Friday, November 20, 6–9 PM
$15 suggested donation; youth 16 and under free; all ages; NOTAFLOF
Last chance to view In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026, featuring a Day of the Dead drag show that explores drag as an altar.
GALLERY HOURS
Thursday, 3–7 PM
Friday, 12–7 PM
Saturday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
Gallery admission is free for all ages. RSVPs are highly encouraged for ticketed programs.
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About SOMArts
SOMArts, founded in 1979, cultivates access to the arts within the Bay Area by collaborating with community-focused artists and organizations. Together, we engage the power of the arts to provoke just and fair inclusion, cultural respect, and civic participation.
SOMArts is located at 934 Brannan Street—between 8th and 9th—within 2 blocks of 101, I-80, Muni lines, and bike paths. For public information call 415-863-1414 or visit somarts.org. Stay connected by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
