The 23rd Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration and Ritual | “Desaparecidos” Exhibition Opening

Dedicated to our beloved neighbors, friends, and loved ones disappeared by ICE.

Please join us on Saturday, November 1st, from 5-8pm for the opening of Desaparecidos and our 23rd annual Día de los Muertos celebration and ritual—a night of altars, art, food, and mariachis. Program, including gallery remarks and our Dia de los Muertos invocation ritual, begins at 6:00pm.

The term “Desaparecidos” is often used in discussions of state-sanctioned violence at the hands of dictators throughout the Americas. We are using this term to highlight and condemn recent ICE raids in Southern California and throughout the US. We recognize the urgency of this moment, and the resilience of  our communities that have historically suffered and resisted fascist government, including here at home.  

We take this moment, while the veil is thin, to be in communion and honor members of our community who have been disappeared from Los Angeles homes, workplaces, schools, and streets due to ICE raids and anti-immigrant actions. Together, we will remember, resist, and celebrate life through art, ritual, and collective healing. 

Desaparecidos exhibits artwork from our mutual networks, bringing together shoebox ofrendas or “nichos” contributed through an open call and workshops hosted by SPARC muralist Rosy Cortez. The exhibition also includes works by Judy Baca, Elsie Sims, the HILL Network, a community ofrenda by Candy Angel, and many volunteers who contributed time and care to transform the gallery.

This year’s Día de los Muertos event is supported by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture, City of Los Angeles Department of Culture and Arts, Los Angeles City Council District 11 and Council Member Traci Park, and the Maremoto Fund.