Delaware honors life, culture at Día de los Muertos

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Inside the Delaware Art Museum, two altars became the focal point of the event – filled with marigolds, photos of passed loved ones, candles, pumpkins and corn. The sixth annual Dia de los Muertos celebration began with a cultural ceremony in front of the ofrenda stand or altar, where community members gathered to honor loved ones and celebrate the living traditions that keep their memories alive.

The event, hosted as part of the museum’s DelArt Nights series, featured local artists, live performances, food and vendors who shared pieces of their heritage through art and music.

For Delaware Art Museum’s community engagement specialist Iz Balleto, the evening was about more than just celebration — it’s about unity and remembrance.

“Es de ver toda la gente que están aquí presente, lo todo que soportan, porque esto es con ánimo de amor para la gente que entienden de otra cultura”, dijo Balleto. “Yo también como peruano, para entender como día de los muertos significa tanto a la gente de México, pero a otras naciones indíginamente. La cosa es de aprender, de aprender de uno y de nuestros ancestros, porque es importante que nunca nos olvidemos quién vino antes de nosotros”.

“It’s inspiring to see all the people here, all they endure, because this is done with love for people who understand other cultures,” Balleto said. “As a Peruvian, I also understand how much the Day of the Dead means to people from Mexico, but also to other indigenous nations. The point is to learn, to learn from ourselves and from our ancestors, because it’s important that we never forget who came before us.”

The motive behind creating the event was to take a proactive approach to end racism and educate others about different cultures through the arts, with the intention to build connection and change.

“Yo quería combatir el racismo contra la gente que no quería saber de la otra gente”, él dijo. said. “Yo lo hice esto a propósito para que la gente aprende, aprende de la cultura, aprende de la gente y así el arte y la cultura siempre puede combatir especialmente el racismo”.

“I wanted to combat racism against people who didn’t want to know about other people,” he said. “I did this on purpose so that people learn, learn about culture, learn about the people, and so art and culture can always combat racism, especially.”