Dìa de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a festive celebration in Latin America when people welcome the spirits of the dead into their homes and communities. The Dìa de Muertos: Traditional Arts for Your Classroom Teacher Workshop at the Burke Museum was a great introduction to the traditions of Dìa de Muertos in Mexico. Twenty-five local teachers had the unique opportunity to learn about the holiday from two local Mexican artists.

The morning began with the ofrenda, or altar, created by artist Isaac Hernàndez Ruiz at the Burke Museum. As we examined the colorful altar, which welcomes the dead with pictures, flowers, food, and their belongings in life, Isaac shared details of the traditions that go along with Dìa de Muertos.

This was followed by an introduction to the tradition of block printing, especially as it is practiced in Mexico. After a short lecture by Isaac, we created our own block prints by carving images and words onto linoleum and wood blocks.  Isaac and his colleagues helped us print our images onto paper.

After lunch, we met Fulgencio Lazo, another Seattle artist from Mexico. He shared the traditions of Dìa de Muertos from his native region, Oaxaca. He then taught us the art of tapete, or sand painting. Tapete are vibrantly colored paintings created using damp sand and powdered tempera paint. We were able to make our own tapete in small groups using traditional Day of the Dead imagery, such as calaveras, or skulls, and marigolds.

Finally, we previewed resources available from the Burke Museum and the Seattle International Children’s Festival. The "Day of the Dead" traveling study collection, which is available for rent from the Burke Museum, includes lesson plans and can be used to make a classroom ofrenda, complete with calaveras, papel picado, and other traditional objects.

The reviews are in:

"The historical background made the art project all the more valuable and the project was just plain fun!"

"Very interesting and a wonderful craft to do with students. Easy, colorful, and unique."

"Maravilloso! I definitely see this happening at my school this year."

"I am thankful for the … materials… to incorporate into my lesson plan(s) this month."

"Wonderful, I learned lots!!"