By Jonathan Morales

November 1, 2024

Nearly 60 fourth and fifth graders sat on the steps leading to the Guy West Bridge Tuesday, colorfully decorating the outlines of sugar skulls to turn them into puppets.

Students were encouraged to later place a photo of a deceased relative under the skull so they could position the puppet on their school or home altar, an important tradition during the Día de Los Muertos holiday.

The Washington Elementary School campus tour was the assistant art teacher’s final engagement activity. Luis Garcia“Barrio Art in the Community” by . It was timed to coincide with Sac State’s celebration of Día de los Muertos.

“Playing to their strengths, the strengths of their family members or friends that they want to honor, is a big part of (Barrio Art),” Garcia said. “It takes a non-traditional approach to art and education, in which students bring their family knowledge to something small, like this.”

In addition to the Washington Elementary School tour, Garcia’s class hosted students from Hiram Johnson Adult High School, who participated in Wednesday’s Día de Los Muertos parade and subsequent workshops on the Library Quad.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition widely celebrated in Mexican and Central American communities, from October 28 to November 2, during which family and friends gather to pay respects to their deceased loved ones. Following the procession from the front of campus to the Library Quad, Sac State’s celebration included a catrina fashion show, theatrical performance and marigold ceremony. THE catrina – a female skeleton – and marigolds are important symbols of the holiday.

Garcia collaborated with Ethnic studies Professors Jason Tena-Encarnacion, Nancy Huante and David Flores spoke about the celebration and said their participation over the past two years has helped the annual tradition grow and flourish.

Lilia Contreras, Director of the University Institution serving Hispanics director, said vacations are a way to “connect with our roots but also with each other.”

“Día de los Muertos is an important celebration because it brings people together and fosters a sense of community and belonging,” she said. “On campus, this tradition can transform the space into a welcoming home, as students, staff and community members come together to honor and pay homage to their ancestors and loved ones.

Sac State is a federally recognized Hispanic institution and recipient of the prestigious Seal of Excellence for his commitment to serving Latino students. About 38 percent of all Sac State students identify as Hispanic or Latino.

The idea behind Garcia’s “Barrio Art” course is to teach students how to use art to better engage and learn from the communities they serve. Students enrolled in the courses are often aspiring teachers and are learning to develop curriculum that draws on what Garcia calls students’ “funds of knowledge”—the unique experiences and perspectives they bring to the classroom as than individuals.

Tuesday was the third time Garcia took students from Washington Elementary to Sac State, exposing them to life on a college campus. In addition to decorating the sugar skull, they also visited the University’s vivarium and watched a show at the planetarium. Garcia also showed them the altars – altars – installed in the Library Quad, which will be on display until November 3.

Andrés Alvarez, a Open University student taking “Barrio Art” as a prerequisite for entry into a Sac State graduate program, was among several of his classmates who helped Washington Elementary School students with their art projects. As someone who hopes to pursue both art and teaching, he embraces the philosophy behind the courses.

“It reminds us that teaching is not a solitary activity. It’s not just about classroom engagement. It’s not about one person dictating information to a group of several people,” he said. “It’s really about learning who is in the community, what their interests are, what their history is, and then integrating that information and knowledge into the classroom.” So, in a way, everyone becomes a teacher.