MY ROLE:
As the Experience Developer on this project, I worked in deep partnership with the curator, designer, and Chicano artists and culture bearers to ground El Día de los Muertos in the Chicano Movement between 1972–1978. I helped to translate a complex history in California into a compelling multidisciplinary experience for visitors. 

• I RESEARCHED STORIES OF CHICANO ELDERS AND YOUTH, ARTISTS, AND ARTIFACTS to inform development of exhibition themes and experiences, in partnership with the curator.

• I LED THE INTERPRETIVE PLANNING process through Concept, Design Development, and Implementation phases.

• I OUTLINED THE LABEL HIERARCHY, DRAFTED, REVISED, AND EDITED ALL EXHIBITION TEXT to visitor-friendly standards. 

• I DESIGNED EXHIBITION FLOW FOR VISITORS, OBJECT GROUPINGS, THEMATIC SECTIONS, AND SELECTED OBJECTS/ARTWORKS in collaboration with the designer and curator.

• I DEVELOPED INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE in collaboration with designer and curator.

• I WROTE AV SCRIPT AND CAPTIONS to co-produce a video focused on intergenerational exchanges.

• I MANAGED AND FOSTERED RELATIONSHIPS with Chicano artists and culture bearers throughout exhibition development.

This temporary exhibition at The Oakland Museum of California(OMCA) was on view in 2019.

This 25th anniversary of OMCA’s Día de los Muertos exhibition was inspired by the Chicano activists who introduced Día de los Muertos traditions to the United States in the 1970s. It honored and explored the lesser-known origins of Day of the Dead and the ways these traditions continue to inspire social and political change today. Experiences included ofrendas (altars), contemporary artworks, historical objects, interactive elements, and intergenerational conversations captured on film. 

As part of the Día de los Muertos team for 11 years, I helped to transform the way OMCA produces community collaborative exhibitions by using this project as an experimental laboratory.

Exhibition Photography: Palmer Morse, Christine Lashaw and Erendina Delgadillo