PORTLAND, ORE – In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Unidos Latinos Americanos (ULA) will present a site specific Día de los Muertos installation in the exhibition space adjacent to the Portland Building lobby starting October 19th.
Día De Los Muertos is a national holiday in Mexico and is now celebrated widely throughout Latin America, the U.S., and beyond. In keeping with the holiday’s tradition of remembering and celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed on, ULA will build a Día De Los Muertos altar in the center of the exhibition space. The central display will be framed by an arch on the back wall made of vibrant crepe paper flowers, each one handmade by ULA members and friends. The installation will also include photos, objects, and food & drink favored by loved ones. To personalize the project and engage the audience, the public is invited to join this celebration and remembrance by submitting images of their own loved ones who have passed, anyone can participate; submitted images will regularly be printed out and added to the display.
To submit images of your loved ones for inclusion in the project select a photo of the person and take a digital image of it with your camera or phone; then email a your jpeg to PortlandArtAltar2016@gmail.com Please size the jpeg no larger than 8”x10”. If your loved one’s photo is framed, leave it in the frame when you photograph it. (Unframed photos will have a frame digitally added.) Printouts can be picked up at the end of the installation.
About Unidos Latinos Americanos: ULA is an affinity group of City of Portland employees committed to developing a professional network to promote advancement and mentoring opportunities for all Latino City employees. The organization highlights contributions made by the Latino culture, helps recruit Latinos for employment, and advocates for strengthening community inclusiveness through public outreach. ULA also regularly collaborates with other regional Latino community organizations and institutions on projects, shared goals, and accomplishments.
Viewing Hours & Location: The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in down-town Portland and is open 8 am to 5 pm, Monday – Friday. Día de los Muertos opens mid-day Wednesday, October 19th and runs through mid-day Friday, November 4th.
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) manages the 13’ x 8’ installation space in the lobby of the Portland Building and presents installation based art there year round. For more information, including images, proposals, and statements for projects dating back to 1994, go to www.racc.org/installationspace.
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The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants for artists, nonprofit organizations and schools in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; raises money and awareness for the arts through Work for Art; convenes forums, networking events and other community gatherings; provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists; and oversees a program to integrate arts and culture into the standard curriculum in public schools through The Right Brain Initiative. RACC values a diversity of artistic and cultural experiences and is working to build a community in which everyone can participate in culture, creativity and the arts. For more information visit racc.org.