Día de los Muertos: A Celebration of Life

The Art Center Highland Park will be presenting an exhibition with the theme of the Day of the Dead, (el Día de los Muertos) a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes the deceased favorite food, drink and music. A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion and Spanish culture, the holiday is celebrated every year during All Souls Day and All Saints Day (November 1 & 2).

The exhibition includes prints from two portfolios published by Arceo Press: “Posada, 100 Year Legacy” and “Dia de Los Muertos, Common Ground.”  TACHP also accepted submissions created by artists from the Chicago region and beyond who, through their paintings, photographs, prints, drawings, sculptures and installations, contribute to keeping alive this meaningful tradition.

Featured Artist/ Guest Juror: René Arceo

Born in Michoacán, Mexico, Arceo graduated with a fine arts degree and an art teacher certificate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. With support from the Illinois Arts Council he promoted and exhibited his works in Mexico, France and Poland. In 2018, the Lucerne-Chicago Sister City awarded him an Art Residency in Lucern, Switzerland. Arceo lives in Chicago where he co-founded the Galeria Ink Works (1984-87) and the Mexican Printmaking Workshop (1990-96). He founded Arceo Press in 2005 to foster international collaborations among printmakers. He is currently a member of Mid America Print Alliance, Consejo Grafico Nacional (a national network of Latino print shops), Expressions Graphics and the Chicago Society of Artists.

Participating artists:

Per Anderson, Jose Agustin Andreu, Rene Arceo, Atlan Arceo-Witzl, Lisa Marie Barber, Carlos Barberena, Tomas Bringas, Catherine Cajandig, Mizraim Cardenas, Mario E Castillo, Juan De Dios Mora, Nicolas De Jesus, Alma Dominguez, Juan R Fuentes, Trinidad Gabriel, Liliana Gerardi, Celeste Jaime, Judith Joseph, Al Krueger, Javier Lara, Kim Laurel, Fulgencio Lazo, Poli Marichal, Rosanna Mark-Andreu, Antonio Martorell, Kristin Meller, Dolores Mercado, Oscar Moya, Veronique Murail, Mark Nelson, Francisco R. Onate, Angel Pahuamba, Hyunju Park, Marcela Ramirez, Rodrigo Tavera, John Weber, Kelly Witte