Dia de Muertos: A Weeklong Celebration of Art, Community and Memory

The University of San Diego will hold a variety of events in honor of “Dia de Muertos” from October 28 to November 1. This weeklong event will explain the different aspects of this cultural celebration ranging from artistic creation and philosophical meaning of the celebration to journalism and cultural criticism.

Guests from Mexico and visiting professors will speak on how the celebration blends Latin American indigenous practices with the Catholic tradition, as well as how the celebration is used as a communication device for socio-cultural expression and political criticism. 

The week starts with the opening of an art exhibition, Political Skeletons: The Art and the Afterlife of Jose Guadalupe Posada, who was a Mexican political artist famous for using skulls, bones, and calaveras to convey cultural and political critiques. The exhibition runs Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. through Dec. 13 in the Humanities Center in Room 200 of Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall and is free and open to the public.  

Two ofrendas, or altars, are also on display, depicting the traditional elements and symbols from cultures in Latin America. These altars were built by students under the guidance of Associate Professor of Communication Studies Antonieta Mercado, who has overseen this celebration for the past eight years. “I wanted students also to know where the images they are seeing in Hollywood movies come from. The families who had a dream and suddenly they created this art, they come from a place, and they come from a culture and an imagination, and it’s important.” 

All events will be held at the Humanities Center located within Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall unless otherwise noted. For more information go to www.sandiego.edu/cas/humanities-center/events. 

Artistic Expression and the Materiality of Death 

Monday, Oct. 28 at 4:30 p.m.

Death as Social Criticism and Journalism 

Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m.

Regina Marchi, author of "Day of the Dead in the USA" will participate. 

Honoring the Ancestors: Conceptions of Death Among Native Americans in San Diego 

Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 4 p.m.

The Philosophical Meaning of Death in the Civilizations of the Anahuac 

Thursday, Oct. 31 at noon

Natalia Toledo, Zapotec Poetry Reading 

Friday, Nov. 1 at noon in the Student Life Pavilion Gallery 

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.