Experience the rich history and iconography of La Catrina through colorful and cheerful large skeletal sculptures at the Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main St.
Discover seven eight-foot-tall sculptures by Los Angeles-based artist Ricardo Soltero installed in the museum’s Shannon Gallery. The exhibition, organized by Denver Botanic Gardens, runs from October 1, 2021 to January 8, 2022.
La Catrina appears as part of the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations held across Mexico, where death is treated not as a sad commemoration but as a colorful celebration of life. The souls of the deceased are believed to return from October 31 to November 2 to enjoy the joys of life.
Families build altars with photographs of the deceased along with offerings such as candles, incense, marigolds and bread that is baked in the shape of skulls. The La Calavera Catrina exhibition is one of the ways that the museums of the city of Las Cruces keep this important cultural tradition alive.
Depicted as an elegant female skeleton, La Catrina was originally born from Mexican social satire. In 1913, the Mexican artist and illustrator José Guadalupe Posada created the very first version of La Catrina.
It was intended as a parody to mock the European obsessions of Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, whose corruption led to the Mexican Revolution of 1911. La Catrina remains a light-hearted and popular part of Mexican culture.
Visitors to this exhibition will explore the popular iconography of La Catrina, including Frida Kahlo, Mexican actress Maria Felix, Mictēcacihuātl, the Aztec queen of the underworld, and more. The signage to the sculptures explains the history and context of the iconography of La Catrina in Spanish and English.
About the artist: Ricardo Soltero, born in Nayarit, Mexico, is the set designer for the largest Día de los Muertos celebration in the United States, held annually at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. Both sculptors and costume designers, Soltero’s projects include work and design for the Semblanza Latinoamericana dance and music festival, Metropolitan Fashion Week, the annual UNICEF Gala, and the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, California.
The Branigan Cultural Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. The museum can be reached via RoadRUNNER Transit Route 1, Stop 1. For more information, please visit the city’s museum system website at https://www.las-cruces.org/Museums or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LCMuseums or call 575 /. 541-2154.
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