On November 1, Fleisher, along with the Día de los Muertos committee Calaca Flaca (Skinny Skeleton), held its third annual celebration with an elaborate altar piece in the historic Sanctuary. The celebration is a key initiative in engaging the diverse community in which Fleisher exists.

The special night featured a performance of Todos Mis Muertos by artist and Pew Fellow in the Arts Merián Soto, performances by traditional Aztec dance group Cenzontle Cuicatl and mariachi Pedro Villaseñor, and skeleton facepainting by ColorWheels artists.

The celebration continued on the following evening as a second altar was erected at 9th and Ellsworth streets. Both altars were dedicated raising attention to violence against women and larger issues of feminicide, an issue that was the focal point of Diane Kahlo’s exhibition Las Desaparecidas de Ciudad Juárez: A Homage to the Missing and Murdered Girls of Juárez that was on view earlier in the spring.

For more about Fleisher’s Día de los Muertos celebration and involvement in the community, see our list of award-winning community programs.

All photos featured here were generously provided by Gustavo Garcia.