A Tribute to Dia de los Muertos

Featuring René Yañez, Loco Bloco, SOMArts and Gathering the Embers.

Segment 1  

Today is the Shadow of Tomorrow  

A conversation with artist and curator René Yañez

Day of the Dead is a celebration that is continually in transition, especially under the mentoring of curators Rene and Rio Yañez who have expanded the artists’ part to extend beyond the traditional altar to a loved one. The father and son team challenge artists to use their creative visions to look at personal loss, as well as local and global issues.

Selected images from the 25 alters included in Today is the Shadow of Tomorrow dedicated to honor those who have unnecessarily lost their lives to institutional racism and violence.

A Live Performance from Loco Bloco

Loco Bloco’s mission is to promote San Francisco youth’s healthy transition into adulthood by engaging them in the creation and performance of music, dance, and theater rooted in Afro-Latino traditions.  Loco Bloco encourages its youth to use multicultural art forms as a tool for their own empowerment and as a catalyst to help them overcome discrimination and bring about change in their communities.

Segment 2

Gathering the Embers

Now in its fifth year, Gathering the Embers brings the spirit of Día de los Muertos to the stage and is part of SOMArts’ annual Day of the Dead exhibition and accompanying public programming. Gathering the Embers is an opportunity for artists to openly pay tribute to love, life, loss and resiliency.

The evening’s curators, Amanda and Natalia Vigil, encouraged emerging and established writers, interdisciplinary performing artists, media makers and musicians to create tribute pieces centering around this year’s Day of the Dead

Performances by:

Alzara & Brother Spellbinder, Jeremy Christensen, Mason J., Tricia Jameson-Rainwater, Nina Reyes Rosenberg, Cassandra Rockwood-Rice, Amanda Vigil and Natalia Vigil