Unit 2 - Latin American
Naperville Loves a Parade
Artist:
This mural entitled 'Naperville Loves a Parade' was created by Dodie Mondero, Adela Vystejnova, and Marianne Lisson Kuhn from a Naperville public art nonprofit group called "Century Walk Corp".. It was created in 2012 in downtown Napervill located on the south wall of "Rubins Way". It is an alleyway between a GAP store and Talebot's on the west side of Main Street. Inspiration: The mural was inspired by the Naperville Last Fling Labor Day parade. Century Walk Corp decided to dedicate this, also being their 47th piece in the town, to this parade. Over four years in the making, this piece contains more than 310 faces in a "Norman Rockwell style". Norman being an artist that incorporates subtle humor into his work. There are also 25 different appearances of Naperville resident Greg Haldeman in the piece, challenging viewers to see how many different times they can spot him. Meaning: The piece sits adjacent to another mural titled "Parade of the Century" created by Adela Vystejnova, honoring the sacrifices of the nations military. In a way, this mural and the other create one unified art piece depicting the people of Naperville watching the parade on the wall right over. This can be seen in image 2. The piece is a tribute to the labor day parade and symbolizes the unity of the community coming together to celebrate a holiday on a beautiful day. Why: The first time I saw this piece was on a date with my then-girlfriend when we stumbled upon this hidden art piece while walking around the downtown Naperville area. While incorporating subtle humor and emulating the feelings of someone reading a "Where's Wally" book, the piece struck me as having a deeper meaning. I also noticed that adjacent to it is another mural celebrating the history of Naperville in what seemed to look like a parade. I was intrigued by the magnitude of detail that such a hidden piece offered. After seeing this in person, I felt that I could stare at it for an hour and not fully grasp the amount of effort that went into it. Without having a focal point of detail, there is a lot for the eye to absorb. This piece was memorable on a fantastic day of my life and stuck with me to the moment that I am writing about this. |
Sources:
"Naperville Loves a Parade." NapervilleCenturyWalk.com, Century Walk, 2012. http://centurywalk.org/art/art_details.cfm?artID=42
Wilson, Marie. "Art group dedicating 'Naperville Loves a Parade' mural." DailyHerald.com, Illinois Press. 30 Aug http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140830/news/140839931/
Ombudsman, Pn. "Find Haldie in 'Naperville Love a Parade." PositivelyNaperville.com, Positively Naperville, 24 May 2014. http://www.positivelynaperville.com/2014/05/24/naperville-loves-a-parade/23356
"Naperville Loves a Parade." NapervilleCenturyWalk.com, Century Walk, 2012. http://centurywalk.org/art/art_details.cfm?artID=42
Wilson, Marie. "Art group dedicating 'Naperville Loves a Parade' mural." DailyHerald.com, Illinois Press. 30 Aug http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140830/news/140839931/
Ombudsman, Pn. "Find Haldie in 'Naperville Love a Parade." PositivelyNaperville.com, Positively Naperville, 24 May 2014. http://www.positivelynaperville.com/2014/05/24/naperville-loves-a-parade/23356
Dia de los Muertos
Significance: This holiday is celebrated on November 1st and is a day that celebrates the dead, as the name directly translates from Spanish to "Day of the Dead". Throughout Latin America and especially Mexico, this holiday is used to commemorate the memory of those who have passed. However, unlike in American culture where we mourn and grieve over the dead, this holiday rather celebrates and has fun on the dead of the dead. This is done since it is "assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness".
Rituals associated: The "Sugar Skull Tradition" is a tradition that consists of creating elaborately decorated skulls to represent the dead. The skulls have vibrant colors and are often seen smiling. They are placed on the gravestones to honor the particular person that they were made for. Along with this, candles are lit in cemeteries whole family members spend time at the graves of their loved ones. They can be seen bringing food and having a good time along with the spirit of the dead person. Costumes/Food: This holiday is often seen represented by skulls and skeletons of which appear in all places for the duration of the holiday. They are often depicted having fun and enjoying themselves to remind us not to feel sad. They appear most frequently on cookies and sweets. As seen in image 2, candy skulls are made for both decoration purposes and for eating. |
Sources:
"Day of the Dead & the Sugar Skull Tradition." MexicanSugarSkull.com, DoctorGeek. n.d.
http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/support/dodhistory.html
Caryl-Sue, "Dia de los Muertos." National Geographic Society. 17 Oct. 2012.
http://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/dia-de-los-muertos/
"Day of the Dead & the Sugar Skull Tradition." MexicanSugarSkull.com, DoctorGeek. n.d.
http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/support/dodhistory.html
Caryl-Sue, "Dia de los Muertos." National Geographic Society. 17 Oct. 2012.
http://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/dia-de-los-muertos/