“Day Of The Dead” Exhibit And Program This Thursday
The “Day of the Dead” Exhibit and Program originally scheduled for November 1st at New Rochelle High School has been re-scheduled for Thursday, November 15th. The free public program will be the finale for New Rochelle’s “Big Read” of Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories, orchestrated by the New Rochelle Public Library.
WHEN: Thursday, November 15, from 5:30 am – 9:00 pm.
WHAT: A free celebration of an exhibit inspired by the traditions of “Day of the Dead” (El Día de los Muertos), the festive observance from Mexico that commemorates the return to earth of deceased family and friends each year. The exhibit was created by over 700 New Rochelle High Schools, working in conjunction with a group of local artists who have fashioned annual Day of the Dead exhibits in the New Rochelle Public Library since 2007.
5:30 – 6:45 pm: Light refreshments from Mexican restaurants and bakeries and craft projects for children in Pre-K – Grade 5.
6:30 – 7:10 pm: Atl-Tlachinolli, a group in colorful regalia and headwear of giant feathers, will perform Aztec ceremonies in the exhibit space, moving into the Linda Kelly Theater for a program of Aztec dance.
7:10 – 8:45 pm: The acclaimed troupe of Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York, also in full costume, will conclude the program with a dance program specific to Day of the Dead. A mariachi group will perform during intermission.
WHERE: The Museum of Arts and Culture, Linda Kelly Theater, and cafeteria in the new wing of New Rochelle High School, with parking off Braemar Road, next to the tennis courts on North Avenue.
BACKGROUND: New Rochelle’s 2012 Big Read of Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories began on September 16th with a Fiesta Grande for Mexican Independence Day and has since involved thousands of New Rochelle adults and young adults in reading and discussing the superb literary collection. The Big Read Day of the Dead Exhibit and Program are made possible by the Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest; with support from the New Rochelle Public Library, the City School District and the New Rochelle Fund for Excellence.
