October 31, 2020. Attack Bear Press founders, Jason Montgomery and Alex Woolner share their thoughts and the process behind the creation of the 2nd Holyoke Community Ofrenda 2020 to honor the Day of the Dead, and at the same time, create a space to acknowledge, honor, and remember the lives lost during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the second year, the Readywipe Gallery in Holyoke hosted the space for an indoor installation, featured on this video, and also an outdoor setting for the community ofrenda that was built to create a space for remembrance, for celebration of life, and to bring indigenous, mexican, and latinx people together, and share this meaningful ceremony with the community as an educational opportunity to learn about the Day of the Dead, that is celebrated in Mexico, and other Latin American communities on November 1st and 2nd of every year.

Also, The Wistariahurst Museum placed a giant screen at their garden, where these images were projected in real time as this live broadcasting was made, allowing the public to see from a remote location, what was happening at the Readywipe Gallery.

We have another video with the outdoor Community Ofrenda imagery, including a beautiful homage in a musical performance by Dra Xingona, Diana Alvarez, and her rendition of “La Llorona”.

This project was possible thanks to the support through a generous Public Art for Spatial Justice grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts. NEFA invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation.