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8 Things to do at SUU’s Dia de los Muertos Celebration

Oct 29, 2019

3 min

Jessica Kinsey

After a museum-record breaking event in 2018, Southern Utah Museum of Art and its partners are bringing back the Day of the Dead Celebration on Saturday, November 2 from 2-4 p.m. at The Beverley Center for the Arts on the campus of Southern Utah University. All activities are free of cost and open to the public. This year’s theme is the Monarch Butterfly Migration. 


Here are 8 things to look forward to this year! 


1. Southern Utah Museum of Art Exhibition

The Southern Utah Museum of Art will be displaying student submitted artwork of and inspired by the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico for the winter season around the Dia de los Muertos holiday. In Mexican tradition, monarch butterflies are believed to be spirits of the deceased. 

SUMA will also be showcasing artwork by Jimmie Jones from his time in Mexico as part of the Day of the Dead exhibit. The exhibit will run from October 14 to November 9, 2019.


2. Frehner Museum Activity

This year, the Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History will be leading activities to teach visitors about monarch butterflies. Activities include making edible candy replicas of the monarch's life cycle and making paper mosaic monarch butterflies. 


3. Ballet Folclórico Herencia Hispana

The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Greenshow space will be utilized for live performances by the Ballet Folclórico Herencia Hispana. This traditional dance group is based in Cedar City and will be returning from last year’s celebration. 


4. Coloring

Several of SUU’s Art Department students have created coloring sheets inspired by the monarch butterflies of Dia de los Muertos. These coloring sheets and art supplies will be available all day November 2. 


5. Bilingual Storytime

Members of SUU’s Hispanic Honors Society, Sigma Delta Pi, will be holding a series of bilingual storytimes throughout the November 2 celebration. The stories will focus on the Dia de los Muertos celebration and will be read in both Spanish and English. 


6. Food

Experience some of the classic foods of Dia de los Muertos. SUU will have traditional Mexican sweet treats such as pan de muerto available, as well as a hot beverage station and local food trucks. 


7. Face Painting

Face painting will be available for everyone throughout the celebration again this year.


8. Sugar Skull Decorating

Another traditional component of Dia de los Muertos is sugar skull decorating. This will be available for everyone on November 2 as well. 


“After having more than 1,000 people visit the museum during last year’s event, we’ve expanded to the entire Beverley Center for the Arts and added additional partners and sponsors to reach even more of southern Utah this year,” said Jessica Farling, director/curator of SUMA. 


This year’s celebration is made possible by SUMA, SUU Art and Design, SUU Languages & Philosophy, SUU Alumni and Community Relations, SUU College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History, SUU Center for Diversity and Inclusion, SUU Latinx Student Alliance, SUU Student Programming Board, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. The event is sponsored in part by Artisans Gallery.



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Jessica Kinsey

Jessica Kinsey

Director and Curator of the Southern Utah Museum of Art

Specializing in community outreach and engagement, museum exhibition curation, and collection management

Art as ArchitectureExperiential Learning - Arts AdministrationCommunity Outreach Through ArtsK-12 Art EducationFine Art

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