HoLa Hora Latina: “Frutos Latinos” Exhibition at Emporium Center

"Frutos Latinos" exhibit now on display at the Emporium Center. Image courtesy of Arts & Culture Alliance

A new exhibition hosted by HoLa Hora Latina in commemoration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) will be on display at the Emporium Center gallery from November 7-26, 2014. The exhibit features a collection of traditional and modern ofrendas (altars), paintings, masks, sculptures, and paper mache catrinas by artists Angel Luna, Hector Saldivar, Margarita Garza, and others. It also includes selections from “Frutos Latinos,” an exhibition showing the diversity of media and style produced by contemporary artists who explore what it means to be Hispanic artists now living and working in the United States.

There is a long-standing tradition worldwide to pay respects to a family’s deceased relatives; in the United States, some people celebrate All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day to commemorate the departed. This celebration is very popular in Mexico and Central America, when on November 2, families gather and build ofrendas (altars) in honor of their beloved departed relatives and hold banquets with the belief the deceased relatives will join. Ofrendas are elaborate displays which must contain certain elements, including photographs, food, flowers, and objects.

HoLa Hora Latina is the oldest grassroots Latino non-profit organization in East Tennessee. The mission of HoLa is to promote unity in the community by creating art, cultural and communication bridges between Latinos and the larger community, and by encouraging education, participation and leadership. For more information, please visit www.holafestival.org.

Published November 7, 2014