Los Angeles Embraced a Cultural Tradition

Downtown LA’s Grand Park celebrated the traditions of Día de los Muertos offering guests multiple ways to experience and learn about the traditional Mexican holiday.

In partnership with Self-Help Graphics & Art and LORE Productions, the park presented 50 altars and art installations created by local artists and community groups in honor of Día de los Muertos.

The altars, which remained in the park through November 5, focused on the theme of the four elements and the ways in which nature intersects people’s lives–– From environmental justice to urban farming, along with tributes to key leaders within the local environmental movement, the installations celebrated Día de los Muertos’ origins and evolution.

On the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain splashpad, amongst the floating floral altar offerings, the iconic image of the Lady of the Dead/Catrina was placed on a decorated floating vessel filled with marigold offerings, paying artistic homage to Mexico City’s Xochimilco, as well as Day of the Dead vessel passage traditions on Janitzio island.

On the Community Terrace between Hill St + North Broadway, “The Journey to Mictlán” installation was a collaborative art collective that explored the dualistic message of death – the closing of physical life and the opening of the journey to rebirth.

On the Event Lawn between North Broadway + Spring St, there were two altars: the first, a Sugar Skull Community Altar which had ofrenda space for the local community to place dedicated tributes to their dearly departed; and the second, a Oaxacan altar paying tribute to the Four Elements.

Hundreds of visitors posted images of the installations on social media with one particular UCLA college student writing: “Grand Park has brought a grand exhibit to our city.”