Scottsdale Dia De Los Muertos Events Expanding At Scottsdale Civic Center

A new, four-day, public art installation at the recently renovated Scottsdale Civic Center will be part of an expanding Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos celebration this year.

LORE Media & Arts, in partnership with Scottsdale Arts, the city of Scottsdale, the Mexican Consulate General in Phoenix and Old Adobe Mission, will present Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos through multiple celebrations and art installations in Old Town Scottsdale from Oct. 23 through Nov. 2.

Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos brings together world-class artists and the local community to create a vibrant, visually entertaining, larger-than-life, cross-cultural experience with city-wide activations of art, altars and performances. Events include the 7th Annual Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos Artares y Ofrendas, an 11-day, interactive walk-through event; “Fiesta de Muertos y Danza,” a single evening performance of theatrical folk ballet at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts; and the new four-day Civic Center Art Installation Experience.

The installations feature Dia de Los Muertos- and Mesoamerican-inspired murals and fine art panels, painted by top-tier artists from the Valley of the Sun and throughout the Southwest, as well as artists from Los Angeles, Mexico City and Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico. Specialized folk-art designer Rogelio Santibáñez Arellanes, from the City of Oaxaca de Juarez departments of culture and art, will also present a new series of Scottsdale Community Altars with traditional offerings and collaborative artistic partnerships. 

“As we enter our seventh year celebrating the expanded Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos season of festivities, we continue by intention to dedicate ourselves to establishing new local and international cultural partnerships while honoring the sacred memories of our loved ones through art and specialty performances in Old Town Scottsdale,” said Robert Ramirez, founder of Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos and LORE Media & Arts spokesperson.

The new experience at Scottsdale Civic Center runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, through Monday, Oct. 30. Admission is free and open to the public. It features large-scale fine art installations, Mesoamerican-inspired sculptures and traditional altars in the outdoor space north of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale. More details can be found at CivicCenterLIVE.org/events.

A longer, 11-day installation, “Altares Y Ofrendas,” will be installed at the historic Old Adobe Mission, 3817 N. Brown Ave. This expanded installation of elaborate art and altar displays celebrates the rich, ancient traditions of Dia de Los Muertos. “Altares Y Ofrendas” is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, Monday, Oct. 23, through Thursday, Nov. 2. Admission is $15 but free for children age 10 and younger. Visit ScottsdaleDiaDeLosMuertos.com for tickets.

“Fiesta De Muertos Y Danza” will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, in the Virginia G. Piper Theater at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale. Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company will combine art and ritual, transporting audience members through regions of Mexico and its richness and wonderment of cultures while honoring the origins of Dia de Los Muertos' celebration of life, loss and remembrance. Admission starts at $49; tickets can be purchased at ScottsdalePerformingArts.org.

Scottsdale Dia de Los Muertos is now officially recognized by and in partnership with the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix and the Office Ministry of Tourism of Mexico for all Dia de Los Muertos activations.

Through its dynamic partnership with the city of Scottsdale, the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts creates diverse, inspired arts experiences and outreach opportunities for the community while fostering active engagement with the arts among individuals, businesses, educational institutions and government agencies. Since its founding in 1987, Scottsdale Arts has grown into a regionally and nationally significant, multidisciplinary arts organization, offering an exceptional variety of programs for both residents and visitors through Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale Public Art, Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, Canal Convergence and Civic Center LIVE.

 

LORE Media & Arts, founded by Robert Ramirez, is a Los Angeles- and Scottsdale/Phoenix-based cultural events specialty production company. LORE creates and presents intimate to large-scale multimedia custom art installations, VIP programing development, performance concert festivals, art concept consultations and international, multi-state tourist package art production marketing. LORE actively presents production programming projects throughout the Southwest and Mexico and founded Scottsdale Día de los Muertos, now in its seventh year.