ARTISTS SPOTLIGHT

By Nanette Wiser

The Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday where families come together to celebrate and honor their loved ones who have passed away. Unlike Halloween, which focuses on spooky and scary elements, the Day of the Dead is all about celebrating and remembering the deceased. The belief is that on October 31st, the gates of heaven open at midnight, allowing the spirits of deceased children, called angelitos, to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2nd, the spirits of adults come down to join in the festivities.

During these special days, families create altars called ofrendas, which are adorned with colorful flowers, candles, food, toys for the children, and shots of mezcal for the adults. People also gather in cemeteries to clean tombstones, have meals on grave sites, and share memories of their loved ones. 

Traditional foods associated with the Day of the Dead can be found in local markets, and one of the most famous symbols of the holiday is the sugar skulls, which are decorative and edible confections. Casa Tina in Dunedin hosts an annual Day of the Dead street party Oct. 23.

Artist Pamela Joy Trow’s Day of the Dead art was inspired by the vibrant Mexican community in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The colorful atmosphere, public art featuring the Lady of Guadalupe, and the availability of calavera-themed sculptures and Catrinas in shops all year round were truly enlightening. “I call myself and others who share this passion ‘Day of the Dead’ headers,” says Trow. Are you one? For Trow’s cards, bookmarks, arts, and other treasures visit www.pamelajoytrow.com or The Emporium in Largo. Celebrate at Nueva Cantina’s annual Day of the Dead party.

A REMARKABLE WOMAN Leonora Carrington produced more than 2,000 paintings and authored several notable written works, earning the Women’s Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement award in 1986. The Dalí Museum will present “Leonora Carrington: Writer, Painter, Visionary” thru 1/7/2024. Celebrated for her mystical, fantastical, and often dark work, Carrington (1917-2011) was raised in a strict household in England and expelled from two Catholic schools before attending art school where she flourished. As a young woman, she found herself surrounded by prominent surrealist figures, including André Breton and Max Ernst, her lover until his arrest in WW2 ripped them apart and led to her mental breakdown. Fleeing France for Madrid, she was institutionalized in a Spanish asylum against her will after another breakdown but escaped by a marriage of convenience with Mexican Ambassador Renato Leduc who took her to NY.  She eventually settled in Mexico, where she thrived creatively, forming connections with expat artists and marrying photographer Emerico “Chiki” Weisz. Most of her notable work was created in Mexico until her death in 2011 at 94.  “Leonora Carrington did not describe herself as a Surrealist, but Surrealism informed everything she created, seen both in her occult-like magical painted figures and in her visionary writings that explore dreams and transformation,” says Curator of Education Peter Tush. Carrington’s writings include “Down Below,” the 1943 memoir of her experiences in the asylum; “The House of Fear,” a collection of fantastical short stories; and her novel “The Hearing Trumpet,” an eco-feminist fairytale.  

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