Francisca Garcia's Ofrenda for Roberto stood out to me. Making an Ofrenda from a chair reflects upon the space that people can take up. The chair was beautifully decorated, where the colors add a vibrant quality to the physically empty space, and I think that this is what brings joy out of feelings of hollowness that could linger. A chair takes up space whether someone is sitting in it or not. Whereas altar's can set up a space to interface with the land of the dead, a chair brings the Ofrenda into personal life as an everyday object that isn't normally dignified as special. Decorating the makes it stand out without removing it's existence as a chair, welcoming in Roberto to take their place along living.
Shea Bray
ReplyDeleteClaudia's ofrenda was beautiful and intricate. The remeberance of adults and children who passed in their attempt to cross the boarder resonated because my group chose to remember the lost children affected by detention centers in our project. The ofrenda was amazing to me because of how many people were remembered, honored, and incoorporated in her single ofrenda was heart warming.
Claudia's ofrenda was one that stood out to me, not only did she make her ofrenda in memory of loved ones, but also people who have passed away this year from COVID, people who passed away in detention centers, and Black lives lost. Claudia used the ofrenda to create a space for all lives that were lost, including those whose name people may not know or recognize. I think it was beautiful how her ofrenda was inclusive to everyone.
ReplyDeleteAnother ofrenda that I found to be beautiful were the ofrendas made in the Dia de los Muertos Art Exhibition because not only did they allow the community to make an ofrenda, but they all had a twist that made them inviting.
I really enjoyed Claudia Luna Castro’s ofrenda. I liked how she mentioned that every year her ofrenda looks different based on what occurs that year. I like how she adds different components from her children throughout the years. My group added a lot of the same people that she decided to remember in her ofrenda to our ofrenda. In her ofrenda she included those who have passed away from COVID-19, the adults and children who died trying to cross the border, and the people who have died in detention centers. We also decided to include all these people in these categories. Her ofrenda was very beautiful and colorful. It had multiple layers, and included the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. I loved how her ofrenda was surrounded by flowers because it made everything pop. I also like how she decorated the wall behind the altar with papel picado and how she also put things on the ground to demonstrate that you are not only limited to a space, you can definitely get creative when designing it. I also liked the ofrendas from the Dia de los Muertos Art Exhibition because they let the community contribute and build their own ofrenda to honor their own loved ones in a public space. The Dia de Los Muertos Art Exhibition allowing the community to participate, demonstrated a sense of togetherness. I also enjoyed watching the wall covered with a bunch of paintings and drawings of skulls. One of the drawings that stood out to me the most was the Virgin Mary as a skeleton.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the program; I must also say that Claudia Luna Castro's ofrenda resonated with me and her theme was really powerful. Every year the altar looks different due to how time changes. The most imperative thing was the theme of showing resilience with those who cross the border and with the people that have sadly been placed in ICE detention centers. The little kids choir was adorable and their dance was quite literally the cutest thing I saw. The theme of finding resilience in the face of adversity was apparent and it caused a lot of emotions for me since COVID-19 has highlighted the inequalities and disparates that communities of color have been suffering since the beginning of time. The did de los Muertos exhibition was also a great way to visualize el did de los Muertos and it was amazing to see the diverse art techniques. Francisca Garcia’s presentation about what ofrendas are, in my opinion, is helpful for people who do not belong to the Latinx community to understand the importance of celebrating this day, we are offering our loved ones a day of joy where their spirits are around us. The making of flowers program made out of paper was a great interactive activity and I learned how to make my own today. I also want to add that the history of the tamal and seeing how to cook the tamal was amazing since I was not aware of the process before, not to mention how the recipe is respected.
ReplyDeleteI really loved the home ofrenda/altar created by Washington State's Poet Laureate, Claudia Luna Castro! The first thing I noticed about it was the placement in the home next to the fireplace. I love how so much room was carved out for it, how the decorations continued up on to the wall, and how it is something you can stand or sit in front of and take it all in. I also loved how full of light and color and pictures it was and how many of the decorations had been made by the children and family and were reused each year. This reminded me of the special feeling of getting out our favorite Christmas ornaments each year to decorate the tree Absolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really powerful that she made space to remember the lives of those lost to COVID, the lives of Black people killed, and the lives of those who died trying to immigrate for a better life. This also seems like a good way to start these kinds of important conversations with your family and loved ones each year as you share time and stories around the ofrenda. It humanizes people who are often invisible or ignored. Those lost to COVID may just become numbers, Black people killed by police and immigrants are deemed "criminals" instead of having their lives acknowledged as humans. And having the pictures or memory of these people among those of your own family is a way of feeling that we are all connected as one human family.
My favorite part of Claudia's ofrenda was the poem she wrote for her grandmother. This poem is so powerful because it shares the way her grandmother's memory and spirit still touch and inspire her. I love the reminder that so much of the festival is about remembrance and making an offering of love. By playing your loved one's favorite music or reading a special poem, it gives another way to connect with their spirit and to start conversations about who they were and what they meant to you.
I definitely want to carve out a larger area for my ofrenda next year!
– Rachael Sage Payne
I enjoyed being able to see other peoples ofrendas in their homes and getting a glimpse at how they celebrate their departed loved ones. I especially loved Claudia Castro's ofrenda and how it was a collection of mementos and art that her children made, this added the spirit of family and togetherness that ofrendas bring. I appreciate that along with her family and loved ones, she included Black lives lost, COVID victims and immigrant lives that were taken at detention centers and at the borders on her ofrenda. This aspect of Castro's ofrenda reinforced the idea that this is a resilience and resistance practice against social injustice and allows Chicanx people to embrace Latinx culture. Overall she showed how meaningful and important her ofrenda is to her and ended with a beautiful poem that she wrote for her grandmother.
ReplyDeleteI loved this program, they were able to include so many cultural practices, activities and information about Covid-19 and voting. It only further emphasized the resiliency that our community has to put together such a great program when the pandemic has made an in-person program impossible. Claudia Luna Castro’s altar especially stood out to me, I love the fact that she used items from her children to represent how greatly she values her family. All of the altares in the program were stunning, with bright colors that we learned show the beauty and color of life as we live it. I also enjoyed that many altares that honored those who have passed from coronavirus, and those who have been hurt by our immigration system, I think they show how much they care about those in the Latinx community who they may have not even met.
ReplyDeleteThe information presented about how and where to vote, and how we should vote for those who have faced injustice, those who cannot vote because of their citizenship status, and the children who will grow up under these policies was essential during this time and very helpful to many I am sure.
The parts of the program where children were signing and dancing, and we learned how to make mole gave a very personal feeling to the presentation. I felt like I was celebrating a holiday with a family when all of the little kids come over and have the time of their lives together, while I help my mother cook delicious food for all of us to eat.
Seeing all the completed ofrendas in the presentation was really beautiful. I appreciated how diverse the ofrenda themes were, touching on many aspects we could either relate to or have learned about, and how personal some of them were. The altars of my classmates and those showcased in the El Centro livestream were all also very visually impactful and beautifully decorated. One of the most standout decorations to me was one group’s use of quarantine tape for their altar to tie in to their theme of loss due to coronavirus and the effect of the pandemic on marginalized communities. I also found it really impactful that another group used news clippings of articles that we see so often describing the harsh impact the pandemic has had on Latinx communities to support their theme. Claudia’s ofrenda from the El Centro livestream was an amazing display of creativity and resilience. She incorporated so much in her ofrenda, like components made by her family over the years, as well as recognition for so many different groups of people and their memory.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing my review about Claudia Luna Castro's altar. It was really neat to see and hear from someone who is also in Washington state. They mentioned that although it is sometimes difficult to find flor de muerto, they always manage to find some sort of flower because it's a must. It's so heartwarming to learn about the effort that goes into these altars. And listening to Claudia's poem for her abuela made it seem even more special. Also, Claudia's daughter did some of the components of the altar when she was in first grade. I think for a first grader, it's a great learning experience, and they can always look back on and appreciate their time spent helping with the altar. Claudia's ofrenda to COVID victims, black lives, and children and adults who died trying to cross the border reminded me of how altar making can bring solidarity and uplift voices through its artistic and story telling components.
ReplyDeleteThe altars represent the time we live in really well. The quarantine tape wrapped around the first altar said a lot without many words and that is exactly what altars do. They are really powerful, they help people heal and feel closer to their loved ones. The addition of the cross for one of the altars represents how important religion for usually the people who celebrate the day of the dead. Something I really liked and thought was really powerful is the three news article clippings in another altar. They all bring up very important issues. The touch of food to the altars makes them very realistic and also the items that were added that represented certain people.
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