The Community Ofrenda was my first event at the Cultural Arts Gallery, and it holds a special place for me because of that.
Held over the duration of Dia de los Muertos, the event was inspired by the ongoing Ray Bradbury exhibition, which explored themes of death and grief through Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. An ofrenda is traditionally decorated with marigold flowers as offerings for those who have passed, and we wanted to bring that tradition into the gallery in a way that invited the whole community to participate.
Visitors used tissue paper and pipe cleaners and were asked to create their own colorful paper flowers to add to the ofrenda. That was my favorite part, watching what people would make. Some students created tiny, delicate flowers, while others went completely over the top with massive, sprawling ones. Every single flower was different, and every single one was a reflection of the person who made it. Together they were used to create the walkway leading up to the ofrenda itself.
It was a beautiful reminder that grief and remembering don’t have to be somber; they can be colorful, creative, and deeply communal.
