Tissue Paper Flowers

While at Harlem Park for the Dia de los Muertos workshops Lindsey Anderson from The Walters Art Museum took time to teach second grade students how to make tissue paper flowers. The flowers will be placed on the community ofrenda at The Walters' Dia de los Muertos celebration. The students loved making this traditional Mexican craft and many made a second flower to take home to someone they love.

Sugar Skulls

We have been learning about the customs involved with the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos and were very lucky to have the wonderful Lindsey Anderson from The Walters Art Museum come to Harlem Park to run a series of  sugar skull workshops with kindergarten, and fourth grade students. Lindsey discussed the holiday with students, showing images of decorations associated with Dia de los Muertos. Kindergarten students used authentic sugar skull molds to form their skulls and then added gems and feathers as embellishment. Fourth grade students sculpted their skulls from model magic and used paint markers to add details and pattern to their artworks.

Calavera Masks

In preparation for the Dia de los Muertos celebration at The Walters Art Museum seventh grade students looked at images of sugar skulls and calavera figures before using plaster bandage and mixed media to create their calavera masks.

Marigolds

First grade students have been learning about how marigolds are an important flower in Mexican Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Students cut paper to make symmetrical vases before painting their marigolds and their patterns on their vases.

Ofrenda

Middle school students worked with art teacher Morag Bradford and Lindsey Anderson, Senior Coordinator for Community Outreach at The Walters Art Museum on their cigar box ofrenda. An ofrenda is a part of the Mexican Dia de los Muertos holiday honoring loved ones who have died. Students had the option of creating an ofrenda for a famous person or a relative or friend who had died.

Calavera Drawings for Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos at the Walters Art Museum

Our students were invited to show some of the artwork they created with Lindsey Anderson from the Walters Art Museum at the Walters' Dia de los Muertos celebration. We rode the bus over to the museum and had a wonderful afternoon. Students saw Bailes Mi Tierra a Mexican folk dance group from Baltimore, had the opportunity to make sugar skulls using authentic ingredients and taste Mexican food from Arcos a local Mexican restaurant. Our students were very proud to see their work on display as part of the celebration.