The Bath House Cultural Center presents Día de Muertos: A Love Letter for the Departed, an art exhibition inspired by the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead that features the works of close to seventy artists from Texas, Arizona, Oregon, and Mexico.  The exhibition runs from October 14 to November 4, 2023.  The center will host a reception with the artists on Sunday, October 15, 2023, from 5 to 7 PM.  The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

The tradition of the Day of the Dead is deeply linked to the human desire to stay connected to our loved ones even after they have left.  The holiday is a time of celebration and loving remembrance that offers the community an opportunity to honor dear departed relatives and friends in public settings or intimate places.  Although we are nowadays more familiar with the massive Día de Muertos celebrations that take place in cemeteries, community venues, and—increasingly more popular these days—in spectacular parades and processions, it is worth paying closer attention to the personal demonstrations of love that occur in more private ways and sites. 

The idea of this exhibition is that the celebration allows us to convey a message of persistent love.  The show focuses on works of art that are metaphorically or literally used as a love letter for the departed.  The pieces of art and altars depict various Day of the Dead themes that are of interest to the artists and many of them include a message of affection in written form.  The exhibition reminds the public that although the Día de Muertos festivity is experienced and observed collectively by many people, it is fascinating to get a glimpse of the less public, yet potent, individual manifestations of love for the dead that are ever-present during this time of the year.

The Día de Muertos: A Love Letter for the Departed exhibition includes artwork by BJ Anderson, Rita Barnard, Angie Bolling, Maria Huron Brereton, Dwayne Carter, Angela Casanova, Vicki Charlotta, Maureen Cole, Lita Cruz, Sam Cusack, Enrique De Alamirano, Sophia and Estevan De La Rosa, Dan and Lori Dudley, Abieyuwa Eigbobo, Jeane Elliott Clayton, Frida Espinoza Müller, Jeremie Fletcher Bourcy, Linda Marie Ford, Jacque Forsher, Kierra Freeman, Leticia Garcia, Erik Gomez, Angel Gonzales, Erica Guajardo, Jim Hastings, Juán J. Hernandez, Jesse Hernandez, Josh Hickman, Duane Johnson, Colby Jones, Joanna Lea LaGrone-Headrick, Sandra Lara, Mavis Leahy, Nadia Leos, Linda López, Elizabeth Mahy, Daniela Maldonado, Cyndi McDonnell, Brenda McKinney, Alondra Mendoza, William Messimer, Marcela Mihaloglou, Beverly Ann (BAM) Moore, Angel Moreno, Bianca Mujica-Morales, Gloria Munson, Crystal Nelson, Amy Palmer, Lisa Jil Payne, Glenys Quick, Rocío Ramírez-Landoll, Reyes (Noin) Rivera, Roberto D. Romero, Raul Servin, Liphus M. Swindall, Kevin Torres, Jose Vargas, Keith Williams, Kathy Windrow, Nancy Windrow-Pearce, Wendy Woodring, and Sharon Zigrossi.

Enrique Fernández Cervantes, Visual Arts Coordinator and Curator of the Bath House Cultural Center and the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture curated this exhibition.

Downloadable Press Releases and Press Photographs:

To download press releases and print-resolution JPEG press photographs of this exhibition, please visit the online Press Room at https://bathhouse.dallasculture.org/press/

Location and hours:

The Bath House Cultural Center is located on the eastern shore of White Rock Lake at the end of Northcliff Dr. off of Buckner Blvd. at 521 E. Lawther, Dallas, TX 75218.  For general information about cultural programs at the Bath House Cultural Center, please visit the center’s website at http://www.bathhousecultural.com/

Gallery viewing hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 12 PM to 6 PM.  The center is open until 10 PM on nights with theater performances.

About the Center:

The Bath House Cultural Center is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.  The center is dedicated to fostering the growth, development and quality of multi-cultural arts within the City of Dallas.  The center emphasizes innovating visual and performing arts as well as other multi-discipline events throughout the year. Funding for the Bath House Cultural Center is provided by the City of Dallas, with additional support from the Texas Commission on the Arts.