Mexican tradition says All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1, is when spirits of departed children reunite with their families.
It is meant to be a joyous celebration. But Kori Gervasio and Andrea Lekberg had to remind themselves of that on Tuesday, as they welcomed visitors to the memorial altar they created in the Morristown lobby of Morris Arts.
Their installation, called Opening the Gates, honors the 31 victims of the May 2022 mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo. Nineteen of the dead in Uvalde were elementary school pupils.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about all the hopes and dreams they won’t be able to live out. To see it visually is devastating,” said Gervasio, owner of Colly Flowers.
She adorned the installation with marigolds, symbol of Mexico’s El Día de los Muertos –the Day of the Dead.
The same tradition holds that spirits of adults commune with their families on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2.
Lekberg, her staff at The Artist Baker café, and local artist Elana Iaciofano created decorative cardboard frames for photos of the shooting victims, along with cutouts of pets, a soccer field, and other items reflecting interests of the departed.
In Buffalo, an avowed white supremacist has been charged with murdering Black people at a supermarket.
“Doing the research was heartbreaking,” said Lekberg. “I feel like I went through the process of grieving. Today I was ready to celebrate their lives. It took me a few weeks to get here.”
The pastry chef said she hopes the community will gather in the future on El Día de los Muertos to celebrate memories of their loved ones .
Opening the Gates can be viewed through Nov. 7, 2022, during business hours at 14 Maple Ave.
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