FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 17, 2013
Michael French
Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator
College of Performing & Visual Arts
Southern Utah University
435-865-8667
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: SUU AND LOCAL BUSINESSES CELEBRATE THE MEXICAN DAY OF THE DEAD WITH COMMEMORATIVE ALTARS AND INTERACTIVE DANCE
WHAT: Traditional, Mexican Commemorative Altars Displayed; Interactive Dance.
WHO: SUU Departments of Art and Dance, SUU's Latinos in Action Club, The Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, Groovacious, The Pastry Pub
WHEN: Altars will be displayed October 28–November 2, 2013
Dance will be performed at 6:30pm on November 1, 2013
TIME: 6:30pm (Dance)
WHERE: Altars will be displayed on SUU Campus, as well as at Artisans Art Gallery (94 W Center St.), The Pastry Pub (86 W Center St) and Groovacious (173 N 100 W), in Cedar City, UT.
Dance will be performed at The Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery on the Campus of SUU, Cedar City, UT.
INFO: Phone: Arts Hotline: (435) 865-8800 or visit: www.suu.edu/arts
PRICES: Free and the General Public is encouraged to attend.
SUU CELEBRATES MEXICAN CULTURE
WITH TRADITIONAL ALTARS AND INTERACTIVE DANCE
Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: SUU's Latinos in Action Club in partnership with SUU Faculty, Artisans Art Gallery, The Pastry Pub, and Groovacious are please to present a varied and traditional celebration of El Dia de los Muertos (the Mexican Day of the Dead) and All-Saints Day. These events correspond with the SUU Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery’s exhibit Jim Jones: The San Blas Years (Sep 12–Nov 9, 2013).
From October 28–November 2, colorful, commemorative Mexican altars which honor the memory of the departed family members of the Latinos in Action Club will be displayed on the SUU campus, as well as at local businesses Artisans Art Gallery (94 W Center St), The Pastry Pub (86 W Center St), and Groovacious (173 N 100 W).
On November 1, Paul Ocampo, Associate Professor of Dance at SUU, along with Dance and Art students will perform an interdisciplinary and interactive dance performance in honor of the Catholic tradition of All-Saints Day entitled "Espiritu Santo." This performance investigates the iconography of the heart and human facial features will last roughly one hour and will be staged in the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery beginning at 6:30pm.
Both events are free and the public is encouraged to attend.
The displayed altars (Altars de muertos) have been artfully constructed by members of SUU’s Latinos in Action Club and are a traditional way of honoring one's ancestors. Altars typically have items that represent the ancestor's favorite activities, foods, and memories. These altars will incorporate colorful sugar skulls and flowers specifically selected and created to honor a departed loved one. The Latinos in Action Club "hopes that these displays and events can bring Latino cultural awareness on our campus and in our community."
The Espiritu Santo interactive dance performance’s theme involves how humans emotionally relate to one another through the senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. It takes a fresh look at human corporeality (nature of the human body), questioning why the body is constructed as it is; what if eyes were on elbows and the heart was on a knee; how do we use our senses to form opinions and judgments of others? Audience members will interact by writing words or phrases (pencils and small cards will be distributed) that they want to release or offer as prayers and blessings, which will be symbolically burned at the end of the performance. This event is coordinated by Paul Ocampo, Associate Professor of Dance, and Deborah Snider, Assistant Professor of Art Education, in the College of Performing and Visual Arts at Southern Utah University.
About Jim Jones: The San Blas Years exhibit: In the early 1960s, a fledging artist from Utah traveled to the small Mexican village of San Blas. While living there, he decided to capture its people and community on canvas. The results can be viewed in this remarkable exhibit at SUU’s Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery which runs until November 9, 2013. The Gallery is open Tuesday–Saturday, noon–7:00pm; admission is free.
Jim Jones: The San Blas Years Associated Events & Workshops: In association with the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery’s celebration and exhibit of renowned landscape artist Jim Jones, Jim Jones: The San Blas Years (September 12–November 9), SUU is hosting other unique events and workshops which center on Jones’ time in Mexico and honor the culture and people that inspired the artist during this pivotal period of his career. All of these events are free and open to the public, and many present a special opportunity to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15). To get involved in these exciting events, or for more information, please visit: http://www.suu.edu/pva/artgallery/
ABOUT THE COLLEGE
Southern Utah University’s College of Performing and Visual Arts is home to nationally-accredited departments of Art and Design, Music, Theatre Arts, and Dance. The College offers 17 degrees, including liberal arts Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, professional Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts in art and theatre, and Arts Administration Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts. It houses the Center for Shakespeare Studies, which offers a degree minor. More than 60 full- and part-time faculty and staff teach and mentor over 550 arts majors. Over 1100 students enroll each year in more than 195 arts classes. The College presents 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions annually. Its affiliate organizations include the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, American Folk Ballet, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the SUU Ballroom Dance Company. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, contact the Office of the Dean (435) 865-8561, or by e-mail at cpvamktg@suu.edu.
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