Art Talk

  Halloween is almost here, and so is the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. In honor of that holiday, the Bozarts Gallery will present Altar-ed States which will open on Saturday, November 1. This holiday is meant to celebrate the lives of people that have passed and is not considered a sad or frightful day. The colorful imagery associated with this celebration inspired local artists to explore this theme further.
    The show, curated by alliance members Pati D’Amico and Katrina Geenen, will feature work by eight Bozarts artists as well as work by three guest artists.
    The idea for the show was the brainchild of both D’Amico, Geenen and fellow alliance member, Thomas Grosskopf. From there they began recruiting other artists to join in on the fun. Each of the artists is unique in their personal styles, and this will be evident in their contributions to this exhibit.           
    Guest Artist Frank Estrada will be creating a family altar in honor of his aunt and grandfather, who passed in 2010. The altar will include decorated skulls, flowers, personal items and candles. He will also contribute some of his extraordinary wood cut prints to the show. This Oxford-based artist has been exploring the theme for some time and was invited to participate in the exhibit.
    Caren Vitell has created some amazing clay pieces inspired by her trips to Mexico. She merged the clay Tree of Life with the skulls and skeletons so prevalent in Day of the Dead imagery. These whimsical creations are full of color and detail.  For Vitell, “it’s really a reflection of my belief that the death of our bodies isn’t the end of our life.”
     Next week, I will continue the coverage of this upcoming show and give more information on the rest of the artists, artwork and altars you can expect to see. For now, circle the date on your calendar and get ready to immerse yourself in a new artistic experience.