OAKLAND, CA.- The Oakland Museum of California celebrates Days of the Dead, the colorful Latino/Chicano tradition of honoring the dead, with Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts: Días de los Muertos 2006. The exhibition, organized by guest curator Carol Marie Garcia, is on view through Sunday, December 3, 2006.

The highlight of the museum’s Days of the Dead festivities is the free Community Celebration, Sunday, October 22, noon–4 p.m., throughout the museum. There will be craft activities, food, music and dance performances, ceremonia (opening procession), and a mercado (market). Curator Garcia’s vision for the museum 13th annual Days of the Dead exhibition unifies the life and death aspects of the tradition.

“Imagine Death to be a watchful eye that sees both the living and the dead,” Garcia said. “Looking toward the dead, Death sees laughing bones that are happy to be liberated. Glancing toward the living, Death sees weeping hearts that are sad for the loss of loved ones.”

Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts features ofrendas from 13 Bay Area artists (bios attached), who chose to work with one aspect of Garcia’s theme. Born and raised in Hayward, she also recruited Hayward artist Fernando Hernandez, who created The Columbarium, a collaborative installation with East Bay schools and community groups that provides a place for people to gather and remember. The students and volunteers used colored tissue paper to create small niches that when backlit simulate a columbarium’s stained glass windows.

This year’s exhibition includes a double spiral labyrinth, Garcia’s symbol for the walk of life: one path is lined with shoes from the living; the other with shoes from those who have passed. Both entrances to the labyrinth will be marked with sand paintings by Calixto Robles, who was inspired by the ritual carpets of Oaxaca used as pathways for religious processions and funerary offerings.