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Call For Artists


Bailando con la Muerte XI
COMMUNITY OUTREACH - OLDTOWN SALINAS                       

Call for Artists & Participants PDF
Bailando con la Muerte
Bailando con la Muerte

The 11th annual Community Celebration for el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Bailando con la Muerte – Dancing with Death, is including  Procession from Hartnell to Oldtown Salinas to along Central Avenue in 2009!

Sign up now to participate in the first-ever procession for Bailando con la Muerte on Central Avenue!

Local artists are invited to create an artwork for the Day of the Dead with a John Steinbeck theme to be displayed at the Hartnell College Gallery from October 26th through December 15th 2009. Each work of art will be exhibited in a downtown location during the show – one location per artwork. All mediums and sizes will be considered for exhibition, the inspiration is John Steinbeck and his work. Entries are to be based on the Day of the Dead, with a Steinbeck theme. This could mean a character, title or general subject related to Steinbeck. All artworks will be considered for inclusion in the exhibition.

Method of submission: digital image of artwork with title, specifying size and medium, as well as a brief description to: director@artistasunidos.org or on a CD mailed to: Artistas Unidos – Artists United, Post Office Box 548, Salinas, CA 93902. Please include your full name, address, phone number, and e-mail address if available.

Deadline for entries is extended until Oct 25, 2009. Entrants will be notified by October 29th, 2009.

Artwork must be available for display by October 26th, 2009.

Participants: Hartnell College Gallery agrees to display one artwork by a local artist (subject to approval) from October 25th through December 15th. There is no cost to the venue; marketing and publicity will be provided at no cost, as well as announcement cards. There is no charge to participate in this event.

Background Information for the Day of the Dead:
El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in all Latin American countries and includes an interesting blend of European and Pre-Hispanic indigenous traditions. It represents an attitude towards death that is very different than the American way. In Latin America death is part of the cycle of life, and rather than being feared, it is celebrated – often with a sense of humor. Usually coinciding with the Catholic religion’s All Saints Day and All Souls Day, the actual celebrations for El Día de los Muertos last for three days: the thirty-first of October, and November First and Second.

Preparations often begin weeks in advance, when a thorough cleaning of the house and cleaning and painting the graves of family members is done to welcome the souls of loved ones that have passed away. The celebration is one of love and respect as the people know that their dead have not gone completely from the family – that they come back during this time to visit and give comfort to those left behind. As the dead are often hungry and thirsty after the long journey, food and drink are offered for refreshment at altars or ofrendas constructed in the home.

It is believed that the souls of little children visit on the first day, the souls of adults the next day, and on the last, souls of strangers. The content of the ofrendas to the dead is changed accordingly, with bland food and sweets for children, spicy dishes and alcoholic drinks for the adult souls. In order to make the returning dead feel at home, things that they loved in life such as toys, tools, or hobbies are placed on the altar. In this way the dead are reassured that they have not been forgotten by their families.

El Día de los Muertos is therefore a beautiful and touching remembrance to those who have gone from our lives.
The title of this exhibition, Bailando con la Muerte – Dancing with Death, is a metaphor for exploring this cultural tradition. The concept of Bailando con la Muerte is to promote intercultural understanding in our community through art. To this end many artists and members of the community have contributed to this show.


Artistas Unidos - Artists United Mission
We are dedicated to bringing people from all cultures together through education, facilitation, and promotion of all disciplines of the arts in Monterey County, furthering intercultural understanding in our communities, cultivating cultural tourism in Salinas, and the economic advancement of local artists and youth in the underserved populations.

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AUAU Logo small AUAU   P.O. BOX 548   SALINAS, CA 93902
 831 758-9126  EMAIL director@artistasunidos.org
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