ASU Museum celebrates cultural diversity with Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Oct. 15, 2008 -- The ASU Museum, 110 Cooley Drive, Jonesboro, will hold its next diversity event, Día de los Muertos, on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 2-5 p.m. The event will be held in the museum’s main gallery, on the 2^nd floor of the Dean B. Ellis Library/ASU Museum.

Free and open to the public and the university community, this family event includes hands-on children’s crafts, refreshments, and surprises. An ancient tradition originating with the Aztec and Maya, Día de los Muertos melded with Christianity in Mexico and led to a rich cultural celebration now practiced in many countries. Food, beverages, flowers, and a time to remember the dead are common in all countries that celebrate Día de los Muertos, and variations in dances and food favorites make each culture’s celebration unique.

One thing is common in every Día de los Muertos celebration, however: children love it.  The ASU Museum’s Día de los Muertos celebration is a special Kids’ Quest event. Children aged 5–12 can join this free club and receive a newsletter, T-shirt, and other free goodies from the Arkansas Discovery Network of museums.  Register for this free club during the Día de los Muertos celebration, or by visiting www.arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org.

This year, the blockbuster exhibition Grossology, the impolite science of the human body, will also be open. The Grossology exhibition is entirely free—thanks to the Arkansas Discovery Network, which is funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. The local presenting sponsor is SHARP (St. Bernard’s Health Associates Regional Providers), with additional support from Niche Publications, Jonesboro Occasions magazine, KAIT Region 8 News, and Chick-fil-A.

Join the ASU Museum staff and people from many backgrounds for an afternoon of fun and festivities. Experience Día de los Muertos, one of the oldest, most intriguing, and richly diverse customs celebrated by many Spanish-speaking people who now call Northeast Arkansas home. Parking is plentiful, Spanish translators will be available, and all are welcome.

The ASU Museum is located off University Loop, accessible from either Caraway Road or Stadium Boulevard. Look for the library clock tower, and park in the large lot.

For more information, visit the Special Events section of the ASU Museum Website at http://museum.astate.edu or call Lenore Shoults, (870) 972-2074.           

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