Professor Muerte

I’m an award-winning scholar/artist/educator who focuses on Mexican and Chicano art & culture. My mission is to tell captivating stories about the past, present, and future of Día de los Muertos. I’m driven by a desire to communicate my knowledge about this cultural tradition to a wide & diverse audience using multiple mediums. I focus on the complex and conflicting meanings that Día de los Muertos has for individuals, families, communities, institutions, nations, and global culture. I tackle current debates about Day of the Dead’s origins, meanings, and cultural identity, while grappling with growing concerns about the holiday’s commercialization and appropriation. I conduct ethnographic fieldwork in the US and Mexico to study how Day of the Dead is observed by diverse communities. I also analyze Day of the Dead’s visual culture — film, tv, folk art, fine art, photographs, magazines, fashion, and social media. My scholarship is complemented by my cultural practice of creating ofrendas and honoring my ancestors through ceremony & storytelling.