Paper flowers and skeletons filled the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on Nov. 2 as students and members of the community came to celebrate the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday.
“The Day of the Dead is a traditional national Mexican holiday to celebrate children and the deceased,” David Dee, director of the museum, said.
Since the museum is displaying two Mexican art exhibitions, Dee said he thought celebrating the Day of the Dead would be a nice way to tie it all together.
A mariachi band played from the balcony as members of the Utah Hispanic Dance Alliance danced in colorful skirts.
“The dancing is the best part!” 8-year-old Dante Morazan said.
The Morazan family and hundreds of others came to enjoy the festivities that included paper flower making and clay figure sculpting.
Attendees clapped and swayed to the music, and children ran around waving the brightly colored paper flowers they had made.
“(The Day of the Dead) is very celebratory and exciting,” Dee said. “It isn’t a morbid holiday at all.”
Local Mexican artists also displayed their work, and Tres Hombres restaurant sold food.
The Mexican Folk Art Exhibition will remain on display at the museum until Dec. 19.
Hikari Hite