Imagine a day when your ancestors are honored with an extra meal at the table, a setting with portraits of parents, grandparents, siblings and children. Strands of marigold — the flower that will guide deceased family members back to living family members — adorn windows, doorways and trees.
This is Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead; a Mexican tradition honoring life, death and ancestry.
On Nov. 1, the St. George Museum of Art welcomed the community to join them in honoring this tradition. Attendees were encouraged to engage with music, dancers, children’s crafts, a community oferenda, food trucks, free horchata and a pop-up art contest.
“I loved the dancers,” attendee Chad Luethje said. When Luethje and his family lived in Tucson, Arizona, they loved attending events just like this one; they were excited about the celebration.
Community members were invited to write the names of deceased loved ones on orange and yellow paper petals, then string them onto decorated trees to honor them. Visitors could also check out the Day of the Dead pop-up art show.
“This is our seventh year running the pop-up art show,” KC Carter, the special events and programming specialist with the museum, said.
The contest submissions opened in early October, prompting artists around the city to submit works based on the holiday. Art ranging from elegant oil paintings to decorated skulls and metal work was on display. Viewers were then encouraged to vote for their favorite work of art.
“I loved the exhibit and art,” attendee Angie Barnard from St. George, said. “The whole thing is just beautiful. I’m glad that something like this [event] has been started here in St. George.”
St. George Museum of Art hopes to continue this tradition next year, with the addition of more student-made art submissions.
“In the future, I’d love if more university students were submitting to the art show. We’d love to have them showcase their work here,” Carter said. Interested students can expect submissions to reopen October 2026 through their website.
For those not interested in submitting to the art contest, there are other ways to support this event, such as donations.
“Our museum is always free. We’re always accepting donations, and donations help to keep events like this free,” Carter said. “We have ran into some problems where we might have to charge for this event in the future.”
Donations can be submitted in person or through their website here. Future events like this will be posted to their website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
“This is a unique cultural celebration that people are invited to come celebrate,” Carter said. “It’s free to the public, open to all. We love to support this community and share the cultural celebration here.”
