La Ruta de Nuestros Ancestros / The Path of Our Ancestors
La Ruta de Nuestros Ancestros / The Path of Our Ancestors
Exhibition Dates: Oct. 10 – Nov. 3, 2026
Reception: Sat. Oct. 17, 4pm to 8pm
In honor of Día de los Muertos, La Ruta de Nuestros Ancestros, the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center invites our community to an afternoon of remembrance, storytelling, and creativity at Collaging & Commemorating on Saturday, October 10, from 3–7 PM!
Together with artist Monét Nyree Panza, participants will create personal collages commemorating loved ones who have passed. Guests are encouraged to bring photographs of family members, friends, or others they would like to remember and incorporate them into a meaningful collage celebrating their lives, memories, and stories. This workshop is open to everyone, whether you have celebrated Día de los Muertos for many years or would simply like a thoughtful space to honor someone important to you! Attendance is limited to 25 guests, and admission is available through pay-what-you-can donations. Please reserve your space in advance using the QR code or registration link on the flyer.
📆Saturday, October 10 | 3–7 PM
📍Bonita Museum & Cultural Center
Creatures of the Night Market: Sat. Oct. 24, 6pm to 9pm
Bring your clean clothing for a Clothing swap, and find local artists and fashion vendors, food and spooky sounds
Closing reception: Nov. 2
Organizers: Maricruz Alvarado y Nanzi Muro
About the exhibition:
The ‘Day of the Dead’ exhibition, titled “La Ruta de Nuestros Ancestros,” features a community artist collective showcasing mixed-media artworks inspired by the traditions and knowledge each artist holds about Día de los Muertos.
This exhibit encourages visitors to explore the importance of this Mexican tradition and promotes the celebration of life while honoring loved ones who have passed by keeping them alive in our hearts—family members and community members. The exhibition features a maze representing life’s journey and the roots left by our “ancestros’ for us to carry forward through generations. The core message is to remember those who have departed. Each artist’s artwork includes a brief explanation of their interpretation of Día de los Muertos.
In this community exhibition, we also acknowledge our Indigenous roots in Día de los Muertos and the ongoing ancestral wisdom that we aim to pass down within the Mexican community today. For many of us, the exhibition is not only about commemorating those who have passed but also about keeping their memory alive through ceremonies, offerings, food, plants, art, storytelling, and community gathering. For these reasons, we invite all San Diego residents to join us for this exhibition.
Furthermore, the artworks portray not only the sorrow of death but also the beauty of life, conveying messages of hope and peace and highlighting the significance of the centuries-old Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos.
Path of Our Ancestors
The path our loved ones have laid out guides us back to them, and we celebrate and honor it each year with offerings and memories.
It is a path prepared to welcome them with flowers, lights, parties, music, food, conversations, and memories of happy moments.
The path is a gathering to feel their presence through each photo, each garment, each place, each hug, and each smile.
The path reminds us of life, love, and hope.
Our ancestors’ path is the thread that connects us to the hearts and memories of those who have gone before us, yet live in us forever.
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Bajo el título “La Ruta de Nuestros Ancestros”, esta exposición del Día de los Muertos reúne a diversos artistas comunitarios que presentan obras de técnica mixta, creadas a partir de sus propias vivencias, saberes y tradiciones en torno a esta festividad.
El propósito fundamental de la muestra es invitar al público a adentrarse en el significado profundo de esta tradición milenaria mexicana, celebrando la vida y rindiendo homenaje a nuestros seres queridos, familiares e integrantes de la comunidad que han fallecido. Como parte de la experiencia, la exhibición cuenta con un laberinto simbólico que refleja el recorrido vital y la herencia ancestral que trasciende de generación en generación. En su núcleo, la exposición transmite un mensaje central: honrar la memoria de quienes se han ido y mantenerlos presentes en el corazón, acompañando cada pieza con un breve texto explicativo.
Asimismo, el proyecto rescata la sabiduría de nuestras raíces indígenas y busca revitalizar este patrimonio cultural en el seno de la comunidad mexicana actual. Más allá de un homenaje a los difuntos, la iniciativa constituye una vivencia comunitaria que resguarda la memoria colectiva por medio de ofrendas, ritos, expresiones artísticas, muestras gastronómicas, botánica tradicional, narraciones e itinerarios compartidos. Por esta razón, se extiende una cordial invitación a toda la población de San Diego a sumarse y formar parte activa de esta muestra.
Por último, las obras logran equilibrar el dolor que acompaña al duelo con el florecimiento de la vida, ofreciendo reflexiones llenas de esperanza y paz que enaltecen el legado histórico del Día de los Muertos.
El camino de nuestros ancestros
El camino que trazaron nuestros seres queridos nos guía hacia ellos, y que celebramos y honramos con ofrendas y recuerdos cada año.
Es el camino que se prepara para recibirlos con flores, luces, fiestas, música, comida, pláticas y recuerdos de momentos felices.
El camino es un encuentro para sentir su presencia, viendo cada foto, cada prenda, cada lugar, cada abrazo y cada sonrisa.
El camino nos recuerda la vida, el amor y la esperanza.
El camino de nuestros ancestros es el hilo que nos une al corazón y a la memoria de quienes se nos adelantaron, pero que por siempre viven en nosotros.