New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Siempre Mujer) Siempre Mujer, the largest Spanish-language lifestyle magazine for Latinas in the U.S., partnered with Los Angeles's The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), the only museum in the country dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art, to host the ultimate "Dia de los Muertos" fundraiser commemorating this traditional Mexican holiday that's rapidly gaining popularity in
America and around the world.
The ticketed event, held at MOLAA in Long Beach, Calif., at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, was open to the public and attracted 600 guests, including leaders in art, media, entertainment, politics, philanthropy and business—from Univision's Despierta
America host Ximena Cordoba and filmmaker
Sergio Arau to Google VP/Global Head of Content & Business Robert Kyncl to Senior Deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, Steve Napolitano, and Consul General of Peru in Los Angeles Liliana
Tamara Cino de Silva.
Proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction, featuring unique travel, art and entertainment packages, raised more than $75,000 https://elmuseo.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos/ to support MOLAA's exhibition and art education programs.
"We're thankful to the Los Angeles community and our generous event sponsors and partners who came out to support our excellent arts programs," says MOLAA President and CEO
Stuart Ashman. "This Noche de Ofrendas was the perfect way to kick off the museum's two-week Dia de los Muertos festivities, which includes a Nov. 1 performance of "La Muerte Vive" and the Nov. 2 Festival de los Muertos."
Event highlights included:
A special exhibition of Dia de los Muertos altars created by Tony Dominguez, the Honorary Curator of the event, which will be on display until Nov. 8:
Six celebrity altars inspired by Univision's Despierta
America morning show;
Sergio Arau, filmmaker, A Day Without a Mexican; Mar Yvette, host, Good Day LA; Valente Rodriguez, actor, The
George Lopez Show; Demetrius and Erlinda Navarro, actors, Friday, ER and Los Beltran; and Siempre Mujer.
A community altar honoring novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, where the public is invited to offer new and gently used books for donation to local schools and libraries.
A special live performance of La Muerte Vive—Where Rock Opera Meets Cabaret, which uses giant puppets to bring traditional Dia de los Muertos altars to life on stage. The show is produced by Dominguez, and stars musician
Santos de los Angeles and entertainer Ms. Ruby Champagne.
Additional performances from Rocio Libertad
Mendoza with Trio Alma y Alma, Casa de Calacas, Macondo y su Sonora, and DJ Brazilia.
A silent auction featuring unique travel, art and entertainment packages.
Traditional Mexican cuisine with a twist and specialty cocktails.
Calavera face painting.
An interactive Dia de los Muertos-themed social kiosk photo booth.
"Dia de los Muertos is one of the most important, spiritual and meaningful holidays in Mexico and Latin America," says Siempre Mujer Editor-in-Chief
Maria Cristina Marrero. "Siempre Mujer was thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Los Angeles community in honoring this cultural tradition and work with Tony Dominguez to create an authentic and beautiful altar honoring five Latinas—Jenni Rivera, Talia Castellano, Lupe Ontiveros, Faustina Solis and Celia Cruz—who represent the impact that Latinas have made around the world.
Siempre Mujer was the Official Media Partner of the event. Additional event sponsors include Official Food Sponsor, HERDEZ® Brand, which provided a bountiful spread of Mexican cuisine with a twist and a special onsite calavera face painting area; Tequila Herradura, which provided specialty cocktails; Korbel, which provided champagne; and P&G's Orgullosa, an online community that celebrates Latinas, which provided the social kiosk photo booth. Nissan was the Official Automotive Sponsor, Delta Air Lines was the Official Airline Sponsor, and Mexico Tourism Board Los Angeles was an event partner.
"Siempre Mujer is committed to helping our community thrive through cultural events and educational programs," says Meredith Hispanic Media VP/Publisher Enedina Vega. "This Dia de los Muertos fundraiser perfectly aligns with our mission, as well as the vision of our terrific event partners, without whom the event would not have been possible. We're looking forward to making the event even bigger in 2015 with Dia de los Muertos fundraising celebrations planned at both MOLAA and Chicago's
National Museum of Mexican Art."
About The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) expands knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American art through its collection, ground-breaking exhibitions, stimulating educational programs, and engaging cultural events. The Museum welcomes 75,000 visitors annually, including 15,000 school children, through its many programs and activities. To learn more visit the MOLAA website at www.molaa.org.
About Tony Dominguez
Tony Dominguez has worked as a production supervisor for Cinema Secrets, collaborating on such films as Dracula, Waterworld, Apollo XIII, Casper, The Mask and Stargate. Dominguez is known as one of the greatest papier-mache artists in the country. His aesthetic draws heavily from Dia de los Muertos and today, his giant papier-mache constructions can be seen in music videos, trade show displays and television commercials.
