Join us during November First Friday to learn about and celebrate Día de los Muertos! Attend a storytelling presentation, join family friendly craft tables, and visit Central Gallery to see the papel picado, nichos, ofrendas, and visit the community altar to write messages to loved ones. 

The 2023 Dia de los Muertos Exhibition @Central Gallery will be open for First Friday attendees from 6:00-8:00pm on the first floor of the Burton Barr Central Library. This year’s Día de los Muertos exhibition is a display of art and altars created by City of Phoenix Employees that explore themes related to Arizona, local history, and meaningful figures, places, or historical events that have helped shape the City of Phoenix and its community in honor of the Library's 125th anniversary. 

Drop-in Crafts for Families
6-7:30pm, 1st floor
Families can become word painters by creating their own mini-book or codice based on the book Land of Books by author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh paying tribute to Mesoamerican ingenuity. Also, decorate your own Sugar Skull Mask.
 

AZ Speaks: Dia de los Muertos Storytelling by Zarco Guerrero
6:30-7:30pm, Pulliam Auditorium

Dia de Los Muertos is a highly celebrated and significant holiday held throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Southwest. It is a day when homage is paid with prayers, offerings of food and the building of altars to those who have gone before us. Join Zarco and his unique masked characters as they celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with hilarious and moving story telling. Among the characters making appearances are: the poetry spouting “El Vato Poeta,” the flirtatious “La Comadre,” the clueless “Special Ed,” the wise “El Abuelito,” and other beloved roles that Zarco, a prolific playwright, has created to express the humor and sadness of our lives. This storytelling puts life into perspective in a delightful and engaging way, helping us to accept and even to laugh at our most primal fears about death. 

As a sculptor, muralist, storyteller and performance artist Zarco has dedicated his career to creating positive social change through the arts. Born in Arizona, he has been instrumental in the development of Latino Arts statewide. His art has been exhibited in Mexico and throughout the United States. Visit www.zarkmask.com. 

This program is made possible by Arizona Humanities.