September 2021 Newsletter

Mi Gente, 

Engaging deeply with YOU, our readership, supporters and donors, is truly one of my favorite experiences as your Executive Director. YOUR feedback for the LCAC Team has been humbling and encouraging. Everything from “Loving your voice here!” to “We love it! All so impressive, refreshing and inspiring.” I’m hearing that our newsletters are bold, thoughtful and informative.

To the dozens of New Subscribers and Monthly Donors of the LCAC; Thank You and Bienvenidos (Welcome)! 

As we go into the Fall, I want to draw upon a spirit of gratitude, harvest, and transitions and to take a moment to honor my Mom and Pops, Aurora Campuzano Reyes and Juventino Reyes Soto. Last year, seven months after losing my dad, I got to lead a moment of silence before a national call of 200+ employees with our partners at US Bank on his birthday. It was among the most meaningful moments of my life and my career.

Now, just five months after losing my mom, I take greater pride in being the son of Mexican immigrants. They prepared me to live and lead from a place of creativity and dignity, and to be strong and kind. I could not be more privileged by the opportunity to turn my grief and loss into something that might catalyze healing in others. 

The LCAC Team and I are pleased to unveil Ofrendas 2021, our second year of Day of the Dead programming in honor of all our departed family and friends. It is a time to grieve, reflect and celebrate those who made our life possible, across space and time. It is especially timely given the recent 20th Anniversary of 9/11. Ofrendas 2021 consists of a special Maestra/o Series, an Ofrendas Mercado, community and school-based Ofrendas Workshops, and the launch of an Ofrendas Documentary trailer highlighting the richness of Día de los Muertos in Denver and in Colorado!

In Solidarity, 

Latest LCAC News/ Upcoming LCAC Events

The LCAC invites you to join us during Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month for the launch of a special Maestra/o Series, an Ofrendas Mercado, community and school-based Ofrendas Workshops, and the launch of an Ofrendas Documentary trailer.

Ofrendas 2021 is a multi-faceted celebration of the ancient native and contemporary Mexican, Mexican-American and Guatemalan traditions behind Día de los Muertos. It is an invitation to co-create with local and international artisans, while celebrating and honoring our ancestors.

The LCAC is pleased to partner with the Colorado Art Therapist Association to facilitate workshops at Foothills Art Center of Golden, Escuela de Guadalupe, Mexican Cultural Center, Raíces Brewing Company, and the Sun Valley Youth Center. We dedicate the Fall (September 22nd - November 2nd) to mental health and emotional resilience.

Photograph taken by Armando Geneyro on the set of the LCAC Ofrendas Documentary with Creative Directors, LCAC Team Member, Victoria Paige Gonzalez, Xencs L. Wing, Alejandra Peralta. Pictured above is Denisse and Chuco. Styling: Iccauhtzin; Adornments: Xencs L. Wing; Make-up: Stacy Berumen; Hair: Rachael Ibarra; Lowrider provided by: Arnold De Herrera.

The Ofrendas Documentary tells stories behind Day of the Dead in Denver and across Colorado over the last 50 years. The mini-film features the history of Mexican/Chicano Denver, starting with Carlos Frequez’s 1993 screenprint,“Westside Wedding”, at St. Cajetan church on what is now the Auraria Campus. Through the lenses of the Denver Catrina Troupe, Rosales Bakery, elders, young people, families and community leaders, we celebrate those who have passed and turn the collective losses into moments of remembrance, resilience and teaching.

In 2022, the Ofrendas Documentary moves across the state to elevate the richness & diversity around these traditions about life after death in Colorado. This educational tool will be unveiled next Fall for teachers, students & families.

The LCAC's award winning retail stop, Hijos del Sol, is back with a fresh look and colorful new merchandise. The Ofrendas Mercado will be held at HdS, 2715 West 8th Avenue in Denver, Saturday, October 9th, from 11am-4pm. This shopping event brings the highest quality handmade items for your altar, whether you are beginning new traditions or continuing with old.

It supports local and international artisans, while offering individuals and families the opportunity to honor their departed loved ones in a personalized way. You will find the best curated selection of clothing, jewelry & accessories, folk art, and more! Masks required. 

Coming from generations of lacquerware artisans in Olinalá, Guerrero, Mexico, Flor Espinal and her husband, Vicente Castillo Dionicio, are traveling to share one of Mexico’s oldest folk art traditions with Denver audiences. In this Maestra/o Series, participants learn about the beautiful process of lacquerware made in Olinalá from locally sourced wood, chia seed oil, ground stone and tree resin. Flor and Vicente will teach participants about this Indigenous tradition of decoration and embellishment. The hands-on experience of mixing pigments to make lacquer brings this artwork to life allowing us to take a piece of traditional Mexican culture home. 

The LCAC is partnering with the Colorado Art Therapist Association to facilitate workshops at Foothills Art Center of Golden, Escuela de Guadalupe, Mexican Cultural Center, Raíces Brewing Company, the Sun Valley Youth Center around loss & resilience.

We welcome a diverse audience to learn about the complexities & nuances of Day of the Dead traditions, along with the healing benefits of art & accessing mental health resources. 

Ofrendas Workshops are a fun and interactive approach to learning about Mesoamerican altar traditions. Participants can create hand-made nichos, construct barriletes, make incense holders, and paper lanterns.