Gallery Talk with Dr. Ruben Cordova

Artistically, Mexico has defined Day of the Dead since the late 19th century, with printmaker José Guadalupe Posada as the key figure. Mexican artists have continuously produced quantities of stellar art. The national government has aggressively and successfully promoted Day of the Dead since the 1970s. In the U.S., Chicano artists in particular have been deeply engaged with Day of the Dead since the 1970s. This exhibition examines Day of the Dead through over 100 art objects made by more than 50 artists, most of whom are Mexican or Chicano.

Ruben C. Cordova is an art historian and curator with a PhD from UC Berkeley who has researched Day of the Dead in Mexico and the U.S. for over 30 years.