The Museum of Ventura County announces a collaboration with the Santa Paula Art Museum and Pierce Brothers Cemetery for a community-wide Día de los Muertos celebration on Sunday, October 30, 2022, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula. Additionally, the Museum invites members of the community to pay homage to Carmen Ramirez in two ways: by visiting the ofrendas honoring her during the celebration, and through contributing to the Carmen Ramirez Remembrance Collection.

As one of three celebration sites located in Santa Paula, the Agriculture Museum will host performances by Danza Azteca Tonantzin and Grupo Folklorico Lindas Raizes, display ofrendas created by community partners, and provide fun youth-friendly craft activities and face-painting by Jenny’s Face Canvas. This is a drop-in free event with no preregistration required.  Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Santa Paula Art Museum from 12-3pm and Pierce Brothers Cemetery from 11am-5pm for additional celebrations. Those who attend all three sites will be entered into a raffle at the end of the day held at Pierce Brothers Cemetery.

Community partners E.J. Harrison, The Quilt Project Gold Coast, The Santa Paula Youth Center, and Poder Popular are helping to construct the ofrendas which will be on display at the Agriculture Museum of Santa Paula from October 30th to November 6th. On Día de los Muertos, November 2nd, attendees are invited to contribute flowers, photographs and decorative objects to the Museum’s open altar space in honor of loved ones who have passed. Please note, the return of items is not guaranteed.

Ofrendas built by The Santa Paula Latino Town Hall and De Colores Multicultural Folk Art, Inc. will honor the memory of Carmen Ramirez. Community members will have the opportunity to pay their respects by participating in this cultural celebration, and by contributing to the Museum’s new Carmen Ramirez Remembrance Collection.  “Carmen Ramirez lived her life enriching the community of Ventura County. The Museum is grateful to have the chance to continue her legacy by inviting the community to celebrate her memory this Día de Los Muertos,” said the Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director Elena Brokaw. As a pillar of the community, Ramirez’ impact cannot be fully represented through official records like newspapers and reports. Museum of Ventura County is therefore actively collecting stories, photographs, audio recordings, videos, posters and artwork to record and preserve the meaningful contributions that Carmen Ramirez made to Ventura County. The community can view the collection, and make a contribution online at: photographs.venturamuseum.org/contribution

Sponsored by EJ Harrison & Sons