Teaching about the "Ofrenda" and Experiences on the Border

Abstract

brief history of ofrendas and describe the artistic and educational experiences related to the ofrenda displays in central Florida, at the Florida Folklife Festival in north Florida, and at Kutztown University. Based on these experiences, guidelines will be suggested for teaching about ofrendas in educational settings. More generally, ways of respectfully participating in the cultural practices of others (often referred to as crossings) will be addressed throughout the article. It is no secret that artists and art educators often feel they have to tread lightly around artistic expressions that are unfamiliar, foreign, or controversial to certain groups of people. Many of these artistic products and processes originated in countries outside the United States and are now practiced quietly and privately within our country's homes, churches, and other cultural institutions. Often, when educators (teachers, education curators, artists/educators) teach about these traditions, they do so without accurate or extensive enough information. To complicate the process even further, educators must find respectful ways for members of one group to participate in the cultural practices of another group. For many, this process has been called border crossing (Anzalduia, 1987; Garber 1995; Gomez-Pefia, 1996). When border crossings are accomplished successfully, students and gallery visitors are able to expand on the kinds of visual experiences they can appreciate as they, in turn, learn to respect and understand diverse members of our global society. Beginning in 1994, Catalina Delgado-Trunk and Marva Lopez collaboratively began creating public art ofrendas in the central Florida area. While both artists are of Mexican descent, Delgado-Trunk has been in the United States for over 35 years, and Lopez's time here has been shorter. Both artists use ofrendas as part of their everyday life.2 An ofrenda is a shrine or altar space that acts as a memorial or tribute to one who has died. It is a powerful cultural expression, practiced in many parts of Mexico, that allows exploration of ideas related to life, death, family, ritual, and meaning. Central Florida has a growing Mexican population. Apopka, a city 12 miles north of Orlando, has a population of about 20,000 with over 3,000 Mexican Americans. They came to this area in the 1940s and 1950s as migrant workers, picking citrus and working on vegetable farms. In the early 1990s, an effort was made to strengthen Day of the Dead celebrations in Central Florida's Latin community while introducing much of its non-Latin population to the tradition. Ofrendas were created in several public settings including a Mexican restaurant, Disney's EPCOT, a university office, a state folk festival, and Orlando's City Hall. This article will give a brief history of ofrendas and describe the artistic and educational experiences related to the ofrenda displays in central Florida, at the Florida Folklife Festival in north Florida, and at Kutztown University. Based on these experiences, guidelines will be suggested for teaching about ofrendas in educational settings. More generally, ways of respectfully participating in the cultural practices of others (often referred to as crossings) will be addressed throughout the article. It is no secret that artists and art educators often feel they have to tread lightly around artistic expressions that are unfamiliar, foreign, or controversial to certain groups of people. Many of these artistic products and processes originated in countries outside the United States and are now practiced quietly and privately within our country's homes, churches, and other cultural institutions. Often, when educators (teachers, education curators, artists/educators) teach about these traditions, they do so without accurate or extensive enough information. To complicate the process even further, educators must find respectful ways for members of one group to participate in the cultural practices of another group. For many, this process has been called border crossing (Anzalduia, 1987; Garber 1995; Gomez-Pefia, 1996). When border crossings are accomplished successfully, students and gallery visitors are able to expand on the kinds of visual experiences they can appreciate as they, in turn, learn to respect and understand diverse members of our global society. Beginning in 1994, Catalina Delgado-Trunk and Marva Lopez collaboratively began creating public art ofrendas in the central Florida area. While both artists are of Mexican descent, Delgado-Trunk has been in the United States for over 35 years, and Lopez's time here has been shorter. Both artists use ofrendas as part of their everyday life.2 An ofrenda is a shrine or altar space that acts as a memorial or tribute to one who has died. It is a powerful cultural expression, practiced in many parts of Mexico, that allows exploration of ideas related to life, death, family, ritual, and meaning. Central Florida has a growing Mexican population. Apopka, a city 12 miles north of Orlando, has a population of about 20,000 with over 3,000 Mexican Americans. They came to this area in the 1940s and 1950s as migrant workers, picking citrus and working on vegetable farms. In the early 1990s, an effort was made to strengthen Day of the Dead celebrations in Central Florida's Latin community while introducing much of its non-Latin population to the tradition. Ofrendas were created in several public settings including a Mexican restaurant, Disney's EPCOT, a university office, a state folk festival, and Orlando's City Hall. This article will give a brief history of ofrendas and describe the artistic and educational experiences related to the ofrenda displays in central Florida, at the Florida Folklife Festival in north Florida, and at Kutztown University. Based on these experiences, guidelines will be suggested for teaching about ofrendas in educational settings. More generally, ways of respectfully participating in the cultural practices of others (often referred to as crossings) will be addressed throughout the article. It is no secret that artists and art educators often feel they have to tread lightly around artistic expressions that are unfamiliar, foreign, or controversial to certain groups of people. Many of these artistic products and processes originated in countries outside the United States and are now practiced quietly and privately within our country's homes, churches, and other cultural institutions. Often, when educators (teachers, education curators, artists/educators) teach about these traditions, they do so without accurate or extensive enough information. To complicate the process even further, educators must find respectful ways for members of one group to participate in the cultural practices of another group. For many, this process has been called border crossing (Anzalduia, 1987; Garber 1995; Gomez-Pefia, 1996). When border crossings are accomplished successfully, students and gallery visitors are able to expand on the kinds of visual experiences they can appreciate as they, in turn, learn to respect and understand diverse members of our global society. Beginning in 1994, Catalina Delgado-Trunk and Marva Lopez collaboratively began creating public art ofrendas in the central Florida area. While both artists are of Mexican descent, Delgado-Trunk has been in the United States for over 35 years, and Lopez's time here has been shorter. Both artists use ofrendas as part of their everyday life.2 An ofrenda is a shrine or altar space that acts as a memorial or tribute to one who has died. It is a powerful cultural expression, practiced in many parts of Mexico, that allows exploration of ideas related to life, death, family, ritual, and meaning. Central Florida has a growing Mexican population. Apopka, a city 12 miles north of Orlando, has a population of about 20,000 with over 3,000 Mexican Americans. They came to this area in the 1940s and 1950s as migrant workers, picking citrus and working on vegetable farms.

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