Muscatine Art Center Day of the Dead Celebration -- November 1.
Saturday, November 1, 1:30 – 4 p.m.
Muscatine Art Center, 1314 Mulberry Avenue, Muscatine IA
On November 1, Muscatine Art Center invites families to celebrate an autumnal Mexican holiday through its Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) festivities, an afternoon of free, hands-on activities, artmaking, and bilingual performances that honor this vibrant Mexican tradition.
Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico – particularly in the central and southern regions – and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere in the world. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and helping support their spiritual journeys. In Mexican culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle, and Mexicans view the day of one's passing not as a day of sadness, but as a day of celebration. In 2008, the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the holiday is sometimes called Día de los Muertos in English-speaking countries – a back-translation of its original name Día de Muertos.
Throughout the Day of the Dead Celebration on November 1, Muscatine Art Center visitors can take part in arts and crafts, such as creating dancing skeletons and butterfly-themed projects inspired by the work of the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre. Participants can also make their own finger puppets, using colorful materials such as wooden beads and pompoms to craft charming, personalized characters.
In addition to artmaking, guests can join art educator Julie Lear for an ancestral altar activity honoring Laura Musser, the original “lady of the house” whose legacy continues at the Musser-McColm Mansion, now home to the Muscatine Art Center. Members of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will also be on-site offering Calaveras (skull) face painting and sharing information about the Chamber’s programs and community outreach.
A highlight of the celebration will be two bilingual puppet shows presented by the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre, a longtime Muscatine favorite known for creative storytelling and handcrafted puppets. At 1:30 p.m., families can enjoy Uncle Rabbit’s Adventures (Las Aventuras de Tío Conejo), a lively performance combining two international trickster tales, "Tops and Bottoms" and "The Goat in the Garden." Developed by Monica Leo in collaboration with her late Mexican partner Eli Portugal, this story – performed in both English and Spanish – follows clever Uncle Rabbit and his wife Rosita as they outwit Señor Cabra, a wealthy goat unwilling to share his harvest.
At 3:30 p.m., the fun continues with Nacho and Yoyo’s Escapades (Las Escapadas de Nacho y Yoyo), an imaginative bilingual show featuring a mischievous chihuahua and an escaped circus monkey. Blending elements of Iowa City’s barrio history with original songs, colorful characters, and a two-part kazoo band, the story follows siblings Lupita and Juanito as they chase after their runaway pets to see what adventures await at Ralston Creek.
Other scheduled activities include a 2:15 p.m. ancestral altar activity with Julie Lear and a 2:45 p.m. butterfly craft led by Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre. The event promises a lively mix of art, music, storytelling, and community celebration, offering families a meaningful way to remember loved ones and learn about cultural traditions through creativity.
The studio crafts are offered throughout the event from 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., with several offerings on a set schedule. Visitors of all ages, meanwhile, can enjoy activities spread across all three floors of the Stanley Gallery. Guests are encouraged to park in the Cedar Street parking lot and enter the first floor studio classroom, where the festivities begin.
Admission to the November 1 Day of the Dead Celebration is free, and more information is available by calling (563)263-8282 and visiting MuscatineArtCenter.org.
