New LookOut Gallery Exhibition Honors Ancestors

November 1, 2022

  • Works inspired by Día de Los Muertos will be available for viewing in the LookOut Gallery. 
  • There’s a larger university-wide series of recognizing the Day of the Dead this year across the University.”

By Maren Case ’24

Among the many offerings at Michigan State University during the past two weeks to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos is a new RCAH LookOut Gallery exhibition, Honoring Our Ancestors, highlighting cultural traditions surrounding Día de Los Muertos. 

“So the next exhibition is for Día de Los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, or in Nahuatl– it’s the original language– Mihcailhuitl,” began Dean Miner, “which is basically an honoring or recognizing of one’s ancestors or people who have walked on through the creation of altars or ofrendas.” 

The LookOut Gallery exhibition will provide a space for community members to view and appreciate the ofrendas– offerings that pay respects to passed loved ones– individuals have created under the instruction of RCAH faculty Estrella Torrez and Guillermo Delgado in the past weeks. 

“RCAH has a history of working on Day of the Dead issues. Years ago we brought in the artist from the Chicano printmaking collective, Dignidad Rebelde, from Oakland who did some work during [Day of the Dead],” the Dean continued. “So I think it’s important to think about the role that the arts play here and I think that RCAH and the LookOut can be leaders of this at MSU.”

The exhibition is set to open at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1 within the LookOut Gallery. Join in on the reception of community artwork that celebrates the holiday and the beauty of cultural traditions across RCAH. 

If you have any questions or would like to visit the exhibit during the off hours, please contact Estrella Torrez.

 

The Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) is a beacon among Michigan State University’s heralded learning communities, named best in the nation among public schools by U.S. News & World Report for four consecutive years. RCAH’s unique “living-learning" community offers the advantages of a small-college, liberal arts education with all the opportunities of a major Big Ten university. RCAH students hone the key skills that are most in demand by employers today by examining critical issues through the lens of culture, visual and performing arts, literature, community engagement, social justice, history, writing, and philosophy. RCAH graduates’ 99 percent placement rate into careers or graduate school is the best at MSU. Find out why: Visit rcah.msu.edu, email rcah@msu.edu, or call 517-355-0210. 

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