BY ASHLEE DUNN, NCS INTERN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
The 5th annual Dias de los Muertos Art Exhibit and Craft Fair opens today at Natomas Charter School.
An opening-day event will showcase “Day of the Dead” artwork created by students in both the school’s Performing and Fine Arts Academy and Leading Edge programs. Proceeds from event benefit school art programs.
The festivities are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. today, Oct. 24 and include refreshments, live music and a craft fair.
Art on display and for sale will include embroidered sugar skulls, sugar skull portraits and skull stamped cards made by Leading Edge students. There will also be three-dimensional sculptures and ceramic skull by Performing and Fine Arts Academy students.
“This event lets students honor their inner child,” said Jenell Novello, a Leading Edge art teacher.
Novello said student projects made for the Dias de los Muertos tied into the classroom curriculum in a new, fun and interesting way.
“In the past, we’ve always just showcased the art and had an opening night, but this year we’ve added things such as the live from the Leading Edge Rock Band, free food, and even a craft fair,” Novello said.
Performing and Fine Arts Academy student artwork found inspiration from emotion and feelings for loved ones.
“We studied Dias de Los Muertos in my 6th grade art preview class last quarter and created ceramic skulls that were designed after the sugar skulls placed on altars,” said Chelsea Greninger, a Performing and Fine Arts Academy visual arts teacher. “The students learned about constructing in clay using the coil technique and also chose to decorate their skulls in traditional ways using chosen color schemes. These skulls were made purely for decoration and not intended to commemorate any specific loved one.”
The 5th annual Dias de los Muertos exhibit is on display Oct. 24-Nov. 8 at Natomas Charter School, 4600 Blackrock Drive. Admission is free and the exhibit is open to the public.
Awesome! So wish I could attend. The double edged sword of living in Natomas… so many great things to do, so little time!
What an interesting article. Great that Ashlee has a part in this. congratulations to her and all of her fellow students.