Press Contact: Dan Bell, Communications and Community Relations Director
Phone Number: (909) 395-2400
Date: September 27, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Ontario
Ontario Museum of History & Art
Día de los Muertos: Recuerdos de Sabores (Flavorful Memories)
The Ontario Museum of History & Art presents Día de Los Muertos: Recuerdos de Sabores (Flavorful Memories). The exhibition is free admission and opens October 5 through November 19, 2023. A community reception will take place on October 7 from 12 PM – 3 PM. This year marks the 25th iteration of the annual Day of the Dead exhibition since its inception in the early 1990s. This year, the Museum celebrates the day with a focus on food and its essential role in the celebration.
Food is an essential part of any culture, and Día de los Muertos offers an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the culinary heritage of the community. Traditional foods are prepared as offerings for the deceased during this time, symbolizing nourishment, and a way to call upon the departed souls from the afterworld.
For this exhibition, the Museum invited artists to create works of art celebrating the symbolism of food in their culture. A range of wonderful works display different types of foods of remembrance. Catalina Lopez’s Molcajete and Molinillo includes stone cooking tools used to grind spices and reflects her Mexican cultural traditions. The vibrant colors of the gallery walls bring a spark to the participating artists’ paintings, drawings, quilts, and ofrendas that fill the galleries, including two murals that depict a traditional Mexican kitchen and complement our community installation and visitor engagement station.
A series of free public programs accompany the exhibit over the next two months. This includes the opening reception on Saturday, October 5th, from 12 PM - 3 PM, which will include artisan vendors on the Museum’s Plaza, performances, face painting, and other free activities for families. On November 2nd from 6 PM to 8 PM, the Museum will host a free first Thursdays program inspired by the Día de Los Muertos holiday. Those attending will create glow-in-the-dark calavera paintings. Artist Mario Solorzano will conduct the class using neon paint in a UV setting.
About the Ontario Museum of History & Art
The Ontario Museum of History & Art is located at 225 S. Euclid Avenue in Ontario, California. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, Noon to 4 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free. For more information, call (909) 395-2510, email MuseumInfo@ontarioCA.gov, or visit www.OntarioMuseum.org. The Ontario Museum of History & Art is a facility of the City of Ontario’s Department of Museum, Arts & Culture. The Ontario Museum of History & Art Associates is a 501© (3) nonprofit organization that supports the Museum’s education programs.
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About the City of Ontario
The City of Ontario is enhancing the quality-of-life by creating urban lifestyle districts that create sustainable places to live, work and play. Located just east of Los Angeles and Orange counties, the City of Ontario is ideally situated as a gateway to Southern California. With major freeways, rail transportation and an International Airport, Ontario invites the rest of the world to be a part of a culturally diverse community with rich history that is well positioned for quality development and economic sustainability for its residents. Complementing its business and residential core, Ontario offers premium entertainment venues such as the Ontario Convention Center, Toyota Arena, and Ontario Mills. To learn more about the City of Ontario, visit OntarioCA.gov or call (909) 395-2000.