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The Clear Lake Arts Center (CLAC) has curated an exhibition exploring and celebrating Mexican folk art and the traditions around Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. The exhibition will open on Saturday, November 2 and be on view through Saturday, November 23.
On Saturday, November 2 a special ticketed event is planned from 6 – 9 pm. The event will feature music, food and beverage – featuring street tacos and tamales from Mr. Taco of Mason City and Pan de Muertos from Dulceria Bakery of Minneapolis, and docents to learn about the folk art. Tickets are $50 each and available at the Clear Lake Arts Center gift shop or on their website. The proceeds for this event will help fund the 2020 programming at the Arts Center.
On Sunday, November 3 from 1 – 3 pm a free family day is planned. Families of all shapes and sizes are invited to come and explore the exhibition, make art in relation to the exhibition, and experience fun foods.
The Dia de los Muertos exhibition is curated from the collection of Mexican folk art of a local collector. Their devotion to Mexican folk art is represented in a wide array of art objects from milagro – religious folk charms, cut coins, vibrant textiles, pottery from the village of Ocumicho, and featuring works by internationally recognized artists Angel Santos Juarez and Carlomango Pedro Martinez. 
Several ofrendas, alters honoring the deceased, will be also be on view. Ofendas are a traditional aspect of Dia de los Muertos and are an activity done for friends and family that have died and are part of aiding them on their spiritual journey. They often have a picture of the deceased, marigolds and cockscombs, food and beverage, personal items, candles, small religious objects, and paper banners.
There will be a free 3 day class offered on Thursday, November 7, 14, 21 from 2 – 3 pm about Frida Kahlo, a German-Mexican artist, Kahlo sustained lifelong injuries; endured effects of the Mexican Revolution and two World Wars; demonstrated for Communism; and created her public persona through her art and fashion. Kahlo advocated “Mexicanidad”—being Mexican—as a stand against oppression and isolationism. This class will explore Kahlo’s life and its influencers; her art and the styles she adopted; and her stamp on major designers. Would Frida approve of how her fame has spread, and the forms it has taken? Learn about this cult figure and the implications of her intensely-lived life for modern society.