Day of the Dead Enlivens Photo Center

THE SCENE

The annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities, in which Latinos honor their deceased loved ones through artworks and altars, begins in several locations this week.

Perhaps the biggest Day of the Dead show is at the L.A. Photography Center. Nearly 75 artists--including Gilbert Lujan, Dolores Guerrero-Cruz, Frank Romero, Robert Gil de Montes, Wayne Healy, Willie Herron and Linda Vallejo--will present works on the Day of the Dead theme from Tuesday through Nov. 3. The show is dedicated to the late artist Carlos Almaraz, and will include personal tributes by artists including Almaraz’s wife, Elsa Flores.

“Carlos was one of the pioneers of the (Chicano art) movement,” said the show’s co-curator, Consuelo F. Norte. “So this is a very nice way for the community of artists that he left behind to be able to say goodby to him.”

In addition to the works dedicated to Almaraz, a special piece by Yreina Cervantez will pay tribute to photographer Cyndi Honesto, who died of cancer in January. Ironically, Honesto’s last show was a 1989 Day of the Dead show at Self-Help Graphics.

In conjunction with the show, numerous festivities have been scheduled at the photo center on Nov. 3 from 3-9 p.m. Many of the artists will attend the event, which will include live performances and a candlelight procession.

Other Day of the Dead shows planned include those at Self-Help Graphics (“La Muerte Picante” featuring 19 emerging Latin American artists, from Nov. 2-28), the Woman’s Building (works by Laura Aguilar, Diane Gamboa, Barbara Carrasco and Rose Portillo, through Nov. 24, with a reception and special festivities being held Friday from 6-9 p.m.), Occidental College’s Weingart Center (paintings and drawings by Jesus Perez through Nov. 9), La Luz de Jesus Gallery (“Art on Death’s Theme From Both Sides of the Border,” through Nov. 4, with a Day of the Dead Fiesta starting at 6 p.m. on Nov. 2), Cal State San Bernardino group show of altars, Monday through Nov. 9) and the Art Works Gallery in Riverside (small works in diverse media by 16 artists including Janice DeLoof, Cindy Evans, Sandra Rowe and Dan Callis, through Nov. 3).

A Day of the Dead symposium will be held at Riverside’s California Museum of Photography on Nov. 3, from noon-5 p.m.

DEBUTS

Latvian emigre painter Simon Shegelman, now based in Montreal, Canada, opens his first Los Angeles show this week at La Cienega Boulevard’s Sherberg Gallery. The show will be up until Nov. 15.

Shegelman, 57, whose 1975 show in his native Riga was shut down by Soviet officials because it was “too modern,” was invited home earlier this month for a major retrospective.

The artist will talk about his experiences during his opening reception at the gallery, on Thursday at 8 p.m. Information: (213) 652-0814.

HAPPENING

On Monday artist Christo will discuss his upcoming work “The Umbrellas: Joint Project for Japan and USA,” in which 1,340 blue umbrellas will be installed in Ibaraki, Japan, and 1,760 yellow umbrellas will be placed along Interstate 5 in the Tejon Pass, 60 miles north of Los Angeles. The talk will begin at 8 p.m. in USC’s Bovard Auditorium, and at 7 p.m. the film, “Running Fence,” focusing on Christo’s 1972-76 California art project of the same name, will be screened. Information: (213) 743-0639.