National Art Gallery hosts Day of the Dead while celebrating city’s milestone birthday

As Ottawa celebrates its 200th birthday and with Day of the Dead approaching, the National Art Gallery in Ottawa came together with the Embassy of Mexico and hosted an event in celebration of both.

The gallery hosted the free event on Oct. 29 between 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“Culture can be a bridge between people and there’s a vibrant Mexican and Hispanic community in Ottawa and Gatineau and the region around us,” said David Gillanders, the coordinator of the event who works for the National Art Gallery.

The event gave people an opportunity to learn about another culture.

“We have been pushing the Embassy of Mexico, we have been pushing the mayor of Ottawa and the mayor of Gatineau, a proclamation of Nov. 2 as the official Day of the Dead, so this has been a great accomplishment because both cities recognize the huge impact that this tradition has in the people of Canada,” said Ingrid Berlanga-Vasile, a staff member at the Embassy of Mexico.

The event had art displays and dancers who performed traditional dances which honour ancestors and create a bridge between life and death.

“Other people are very happy to see the Mexican people show the dances, show the music, sing a lot of music like a Mexican song as the Marachi, Muscia norteña,” said Solange Lopez, a Mexican dancer and a member of FMXMTlL.

Culture has a way to bring people together and so does art.

Gillanders said the gallery has artwork celebrating Mexican artists to provide more depth of the culture.