Recuerdos Ilustrados: Día de los Muertos 2025

On view October 11 – November 16, 2025

A journey through life, love and death, Recuerdos Ilustrados: Día de los Muertos 2025 (Illustrated Memories: Day of the Dead 2025) features contemporary altars and artwork by artists from Southern California and the Central Valley.

Opening at the Museum’s Día de los Muertos Fiesta on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, the annual exhibit explores the Mexican cultural tradition of honoring deceased loved ones each year on November 1 and 2 by creating calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls), altares de muertos (altars of the dead) and ofrendas (offerings), which has evolved from the Aztecs to modern day Mexico and California. This year’s exhibit features the work of printmaking artists Stephanie Mercado, Daniel Villa, and Álvaro D. Márquez, whose altars will be centered around the topic of immigration.

Members of the public are also invited to honor friends and family members who have passed with a remembrance in the exhibit’s accompanying Community Altar. Optional templates can be downloaded ahead of time here or created on site using materials at the Museum’s craft station. Photocopies of photos are encouraged; any items left on the altar will not be returned. 

*The exhibit grand opening will occur at 6 pm on October 11 at our Día de los Muertos Fiesta. The exhibit will open to general admission visitors on Sunday, October 12 at 12 pm.