Partners: Maya Lin School; Oakland School for the Arts; Skyline High School

Educators: Constance Moore, Lead Artist; Jamie Treacy, Lead Artist; Pablo Cristi, Oakland School for the Arts

Avery Luong
RISE (Kite), 2014
Acrylic and graphite on paper, tissue paper, wood, string

Gia Collaco
Kite, 2014
Painted paper, tissue paper, wood, string

Senay Alkebu-Ian, 12th Grade
Mask, 2014
Painted cardboard, plastic

The Oakland Museum of California partnered with local artists, students, and teachers from three schools for this year’s Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibition, “Songs and Sorrows.” The annual exhibition preserved the museum’s commitment to celebrating the customs of the Mesoamerican and Californian Dias de los Muertos while introducing visitors to contemporary practices. The exhibition explored this holiday from its pre-Hispanic origins to its present expressions in California, weaving together the iconic imagery with the aesthetic and spiritual qualities of this tradition. The kites on display were inspired by Guatemalan kites of remembrance and created to honor departed loved ones as well as the natural world. Senay Alkebu-Ian created his mask in memory of jazz musician, Sun Ra, and took inspiration from traditional death masks to honor this influential cultural figure.