In celebration of Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, the Southern Utah Museum of Art is hosting a full day of free events on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 12 to 4 p.m. across the Southern Utah University campus.
“This is SUMA’s 9th annual Day of the Dead celebration, one of the largest events in the state in honor of this holiday,” said Emily Ronquillo, manager of marketing and communications at SUMA. “SUMA collaborates with the SUU Languages & Philosophy department, Latinx Student Alliance, STEM Center, Frehner Museum of Natural History, and artsFUSION, to host a week-long series of events.”
Mariachi Fuego de Utah will perform a musical number and the Ballet Folklorico Herencia Hispana will perform a cultural dance in the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Music Center.
SUMA, the SUU STEM Center and The Frehner Museum of Natural History will be hosting activities inside the SUMA gallery and classroom, including family-friendly crafts and science activities.
Food trucks and vendors will be available throughout the day, including Los Flores, Alicia’s Tamales and Zion Frescas. Complimentary pan de muerto will be available while supplies last.
SUMA started hosting this event in 2016, when an SUU student asked SUMA to host their capstone event centered on Dia de los Muertos.
“This celebration was an enormous success in its first year and showed the need to continue it in the future,” said Jason Moodie, director of learning and visitor experience at SUMA. “This event provides both an entertaining and educational experience that teaches our community about Latin American history and tradition. Whether it’s a student looking for a meaningful cultural experience or a resident wanting to participate in a unique community event, SUMA’s celebration offers a welcoming space to celebrate the arts and honor loved ones.”
For more information about SUMA and the Dia de los Muertos Celebration, visit SUMA’s website.
Author: Asa Burns
Photo courtesy of SUMA
Editor: Charlee Steed
arts@suunews.net