The Day of the Dead/Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and in Latino communities throughout the United States and Canada. MCCLA shares a long history in these traditional family celebrations as we honor those who have passed with a variety of festivities. This year, we are excited to offer workshops on traditional altar design and the history and making of Zempasuchil (paper marigolds).

Zempasuchil/ Paper Marigold Workshop:
with Herminia Albarran Romero

MCCLA is honored to have renowned Folk artist and altarista, Herminia Albarran Romero, to teach an 8 week workshop on the history and making of Zempasuchil. The flower, also called the flor de muertos ("flower of the dead") in Mexico, is traditionally used for Dia De Los Muertos because of its vibrant color and aroma. Some participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with Romero by contributing their designs to her beautiful large-scale installation, as part of the Death in Parallel exhibition in MCCLA’s Main Gallery.

Recognized as a master artist, Romero’s work has been featured in exhibitions at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, University of California, Berkeley Art Museum, the Oakland Museum of California, the Heard Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art.

Herminia Albarran Romero is an NEA Awardee for the National Heritage Fellowships in Folk and Traditional Arts, the highest award for folk art in the U.S. Romero was a recipient of the NEA’s National Heritage Fellowship in Washington, DC in September 2005. She has also been an active participant in the Alliance for California Traditional Arts’ (ACTA) Folk & Traditional Mentorship Initiative and was ACTA's Apprenticeship Program Master Artist in 2001.

Zempasuchil/ Paper Marigold Workshop

(20 Students Maximum per session)
RSVP required, galleryasst@missionculturalcenter.org or 415.643.2775
(please leave a detailed message with name, workshop title, dates planning to attend, and if enrolling in package deal)
Price: $15 per class session (ages 12 and up)*
Where: MCCLA Main Gallery, Café de la Muerte
Materials: Participants will need to bring a pair of small scissors.
Dates:
Saturday, September 10, 11:30-2pm
Saturday, September 17, 11:30-2pm
Saturday, September 24, 11:30-2pm
Saturday, October 1, 11:30-2pm
Saturday, October 8, 11:30-2pm
Saturday, October 15, 11:30-2pm
Saturday, October 22, 11:30-2pm
Saturday, October 29, 11:30-2pm

*mccla is excited to offer two great discounts on these workshops!
PACKAGE RATE: For enrolling in ALL 8 classes, the cost will be reduced to $80 ($10/each class).
This offer only applies for total enrollment. The deadline to enroll for this package deal is September 9th, 4pm.
FAMILY/FRIEND: Bring along one family member or friend for only HALF PRICE ($7.50)!!
Please note, the above discounts cannot be used at the same time.

Altar Design Workshop: with Alfonso Ochoa

MCCLA is also thrilled to have Alfonso Ochoa, a skilled artist and important community figure, to lead an 8 week workshop on the design and construction of traditional and contemporary altars, as well as discussing the meanings of their various elements. Ochoa, who has been creating altars for over 20 years, is a master of the craft, teaching participants the many components of altar-making, from the delicate banderitas made of papel picado to the grand arches decorated with flowers. The workshop will end with a collaborative altar made by Ochoa and the participants.

Ochoa, a native of Chihuahua, has been part of the MCCLA community for many years, and has a long history of contributing to the Dia De Los Muertos exhibitions―making dynamic altars for Mexican folk heroes like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, and also those that focus on family, with beautiful designs and rich offerings to honor his mother.

Altar Design Workshop:

(20 Students Maximum per session)
RSVP required, galleryasst@missionculturalcenter.org or 415.643.2775
(please leave a detailed message with name, workshop title, dates planning to attend, and if enrolling in package deal)
Price: $15 per class session (ages 12 and up)*
Where: MCCLA Studio D
Materials: Materials will be provided
Dates:
Saturday, September 10, 10:00am-12pm
Saturday, September 17, 10:00am-12pm
Saturday, September 24, 10:00am-12pm
Saturday, October 1, 10:00am-12pm
Saturday, October 8, 10:00am-12pm
Saturday, October 15, 10:00am-12pm
Saturday, October 22, 10:00am-12pm
Saturday, October 29, 10:00am-12pm

*mccla is excited to offer two great discounts on these workshops!
PACKAGE RATE: For enrolling in ALL 8 classes, the cost will be reduced to $80 ($10/each class).
This offer only applies for total enrollment. The deadline to enroll for this package deal is September 9th, 4pm.
FAMILY/FRIEND: Bring along one family member or friend for only HALF PRICE ($7.50)!!
Please note, the above discounts cannot be used at the same time.