D°a de los Muertos takes on a special significance this year for Working Classroom - the conservatory's latest installation is devoted to casualties of war.
Death is on everyone's mind because of the war in Iraq and that includes the youth of Albuquerque, said Working Classroom artist-in-residence Gregory Coates.
Working Classroom, a nonprofit street conservatory that recruits youth from historically ignored neighborhoods for art and theater education, is using the Day of the Dead to commemorate lives lost in war.
Middle and high school students from all over the city have created "Raising Casualties: Ofrendas a las Victimas de Guerra," a mixed-media instillation of traditional and innovative D°a de los Muertos alters.
"This is a nonpolitical event," Coates said. "It's about having compassion for other people."
Coates came from New York to work on the project. The students brainstormed for a few weeks trying to find a theme and then perfected their ideas on it. Twice a week, the students went to Working Classroom to assemble the installation.
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UNM sophomore Rebecca Garcia helped bring the participants to Working Classroom after school from the organization she works at, Cornstalk, which is an after school mentoring program.
The students were interviewed to be sure they were dedicated to the project. They were asked to be at every session and to take the project seriously.
"The kids loved it," said Isaac Pease, Working Classroom's visual arts program coordinator. "They have a sense of pride by having their stuff in a gallery. It injects accomplishment that's magical."
Paintings, sculptures and dioramas create a maze though Working Classroom's gallery, Visiones. The installation takes the viewer through what life is like for those stricken with war. Old televisions transform into altars and a gurney with a dead body on it becomes a battlefield. A beautiful white and blue altar displays the things left behind by those killed in war.
"We really tried to work with non-traditional and traditional materials to teach these kids that they don't have to be rich to make art," Pease said.ˇ
Beyond the fact that this interactive, socially relevant art was created by young artists, the use of unique materials is striking. This is not your average art show, but is what has come to be expected from Working Classroom and its students. For 15 years, Working Classroom has been helping make sure young artists and actors stay out of trouble and focus on their craft.
"It's a special program," Pease said. "You can't just drop in or out. It's like being in a sport or a club. It's an art conservatory where kids want
to be and where they want to make art."
The What, When and Where:
What: "Raising Casualties: Ofrendas a las
Victimas de Guerra"
When: Opens Saturday
Where: Visiones Gallery, 212 Gold Ave.
Tickets and Info: 242-9267
www.workingclassroon.org
