Museum’s Día de Muertos Showcases Community Altars

Día de Muertos opens on October 7 at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures. The Main Gallery exhibition will feature altars designed and created by the community and school groups. For the month of October, the Museum is also offering free admission for staff and volunteers at libraries.

“The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of deceased relatives for a brief reunion,” said Ollie Bode, the Museum’s Collection Manager and Volunteer Coordinator.

“Altars – or ofrendas – honor the deceased with photographs, some of the deceased’s personal items and favorite foods, and traditional elements such as marigolds and candles.”

The exhibit, curated by local resident Jody Snow, will include an altar honoring Jeanne Nash, one of the founders of the Museum. Classes at McGraw Elementary, Laurel Elementary, Boltz Middle School, and Mountain Sage Community School will be creating altars as well as the Pride Resource Center at Colorado State University. Finally, the display will include a “public” altar to which the community is invited to contribute photographs of their deceased loved ones.

The exhibit, funded in part by the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund, runs through November 19. The Global Village Museum is located at 200 West Mountain Avenue, and Museum hours are 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, please visit globalvillagemuseum.org or call 970-221-4600.