Living Legacies: Día de Los Muertos 2020 is a call to action for our responsibility to future generations. It is a call to invoke the strengths and lessons of our ancestors to survive the historic moment in which we’re currently living. This exhibition recognizes that the status quo has continued to fail communities of color while holding space for collective grief, mourning, and resilience in the face of systemic oppression.

Featuring a specially curated roster of artists for an exhibit of monumental space and imagination, curators Rio Yañez and Carolina Quintanilla encapsulate the urgency of our moment and light our path forward..

From the police violence toward Black communities, to the COVID–19 pandemic that has illuminated the ongoing need for housing rights, Medicare for all, and worker protections, we’re witnessing an uprising unlike anything we have seen before. In a time of incredible struggle, we turn to one another through art to remember and dream.

For this year’s exhibition, we offer a virtual gallery, a nicho workshop, and exhibition tour to make Living Legacies: Día de Los Muertos 2020 accessible to our creative community. These virtual experiences were produced by SOMArts to give you an in-depth look at the exhibition.

Create your own nicho and learn the long history of this popular Latin American art form alongside multimedia artist Emma Hernandez. In this virtual crafting session participants will create intentional spaces for remembrance using household materials. This activity forms part of Día de Muertos traditions and encourages conversations regarding antepasados, commemoration and the melding of Roman Catholic, indigenous spirituality and popular culture.

About the Artist

Emma Christina Hernández is an illustrator, multimedia artist and arts administrator based in San Antonio, Texas. She is a 2016/2020 Google Fiber Digital Inclusion Fellow, 2018 Library Journal Mover & Shaker and holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Indiana University.

Emma is passionate about accessible, culturally responsive arts programming for all ages. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio and putting the “chola” back in scholar.

Get in touch

IG: @xilin.drina
Twitter: @xilin_drina
TikTok: @xilin_drina

www.xilindrina.org