Día de Los Muertos at UWM

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Union Concourse was filled with ceremonial decorations in commemoration of Día de Los Muertos, otherwise known as The Day of the Dead.

Día de Los Muertos takes place every year on Nov. 2, and this year, the Union Art Gallery and the Roberto Hernandez Center sponsored a free and public event that brought Latino and Mexican culture to the foreground for UWM students.

The celebration kicked off with a grand entrance of four dancers parading into the union to the rhythms of a single drummer.  Dressed in eloquent feathered headdresses and traditional clothing, the dancers incorporated a variety of choreography.

After a performance that spanned around 20 minutes and swift exit, the dancers returned for one more dance, dressed in new ceremonial clothing. By now, the entire staircase leading up to the food court was filled with awestruck students.

“I was really impressed with the fluidity of the dance and the awareness of the dancers with their surroundings,” said Nico Soto, a fourth-year student and astonished spectator. “They clearly had rehearsed this routine many times. I could not keep my eyes off the drummer; she had a very strong presence.”

When the performance was finished, a three-piece Mariachi band filled the Union Art Gallery with festive melodies while a students indulged in a luscious buffet that was filled with drinks, mini-enchiladas, and other snacks.

If students were not waiting in the massive line that stretched behind the buffet, they could partake in papier-mâché mask making, a long-standing Mexican folk art tradition that is commonly used during Día de Los Muertos.

One of the mask makers, Enrique Figueroa, the director of UWM’s Roberto Hernández Center, explained that the art of mask making is commemorative of Día de Los Muertos and that typically there are parades where participants start at a location and make their way to a cemetery to honor the deceased.

“It’s a tradition within the Latino community, particularly the Mexican community, and we just want to have some kind of a fun event,” said Figueroa. “This is the seventh or eighth year in a row that we have done it at UWM.”

Using makeup and face paint to create a skeleton-like appearance is also a widespread tradition during Día de Los Muertos, but surprisingly it was absent from the day’s festivities.

Toward the back of the performance space, a collection of booths designed to carry the message of Día de Los Muertos presented a spectacular collection of craft and culture.

One of the booths was a tried-and-true piece devoted the message of Día de Los Muertos, displaying a collection of objects placed on a homemade ritual altar that was created for individuals who have passed away, known as an ofrenda.

These ofrendas were all hand-made by members of the community, and showed just how personal this holiday is for some.

The other booths were filled with various handmade crafts and other tributes to the deceased, including an especially creative booth dedicated to the renowned Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo.