The results are finally in!  Winners were selected by popular vote during the exhibition opening on Oct. 27 and the Dia de los Muertos Street Festival on Nov. 2.  Winning schools receive cash awards to be used for classroom supplies.  The 2012 Extravagancia de Pinatas is sponsored by Half Price Books, Navy Army CCU, and Texas Commission on the Arts. (Thank You!)

739 people voted and the winners are as follows:

Third Place:  Rooster by Port Aransas High School Art Classes led by Thomas McHenry (below)

Second Place goes to “My Marigolds” by Kaffie Middle School Art Club led by Irma Janko (below)

First Place:  ”The Claw” by Carroll High School National Art Honor Society led by Tony Armadillo (below):

Special thanks to all of our participants!  Hope you all will participate again in 2013!

The 2012 Dia de los Muertos Street Festival is set for Nov. 2, 2012, 5:30 pm to midnight. Now in our fifth year, El Dia de los Muertos Street Festival has become THE downtown block party of the year, with lots of fun and entertainment for young and old alike. Don’t miss this exciting night filled with art, piñatas, food, demonstrations, kids activities, dancing, and live music, music, music!

The 5th Annual Dia de los Muertos Street Festival is held in the 400 & 500 blocks of Starr and 600-700 blocks of Mesquite Streets in downtown Corpus Christi. The festival includes an Hecho-a-Mano (made-by-hand) Art Expo, Kids’ Activity Corner, Art Demonstrations, live music, Mariachis, Folklorico dancers, a community altar, food, drinks and more. Wear a costume, or have your face painted at the event!

At 6:00 pm, Dia de los Muertos revelers will parade down People’s Street through ArtWalk then over to Starr Street ending at the main stage at Starr and Chaparral. The parade will end at 6:45 p.m will a performance by Mariachi Aduila. Additional live music for the remainder of the evening includes popular Texas bands Latin Talk, Los Bad Apples and La Guerrilla on the Andrews MainStage, (sponsored by Andrews Distributing Co.). Stage 2, sponsored by the Downtown Management District will feature several local and regional folklorico and cultural dance companies.

sugar skulls made in Oct. 5th workshop

This year, the Dia de los Muertos Festival is adding educational programming thanks to funding from the Coastal Bend Community Foundation. Throughout the month of October, K Space Contemporary is hosting workshops in crafts such as papier mache’, sugar skulls, and papel picaco. (FMI: http://www.diadelosmuertoscc.com/workshops/)  In addition, the Kid’s Corner at the festival will feature more activities, including a rock climbing wall and a game of Piñata busting.

Another new enhancement is a Dia de los Muertos fine art exhibition on display inside K Space Contemporary with the Extravagancia de Pinatas exhibition. The Dia de los Muertos art exhibition is curated by Lynda Jones and funded by Texas Commission on the Arts. 25 contemporary artists from South Texas have been invited to create artworks inspired by Dia de los Muertos. Extravagancia de Piñatas, sponsored by Navy Army CCU, features piñatas created by area youth. This exhibit is delightfully colorful and large scale, and benefits local schools as the winners receive money for classroom art supplies. Be sure to go inside K Space Contemporary for this exciting exhibit.

Our Hecho a Mano Art Expo features over 50 artists offering original arts, crafts, jewelry, and numerous Dia de los Muertos related trinkets. This is one of the best events in the city to find unusual and original art, gifts, decorative items, and jewelry. Anyone interested in being a vendor can find guidelines and registration information www.diadelosmuertoscc.com/vendor-information.

TAMUCC’s Printmaking students will demonstrate woodblock printing on paper and t-shirts. These students will also build a community altar to which visitors may add memorial notes, drawings or photos, or even food for loved ones who have passed. TAMUCC Art Department’s “Hold Steady Crew” will demonstrate iron casting and will offer visitors an opportunity to create their own small iron sculpture. Students from Del Mar College will also be present selling their works.

Dia de los Muertos Street Festival is coordinated by the Electra Art*Axis Tattoo, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi Downtown Management District, and House of Rock. Sponsors at this time include Andrews Distributing, AEP Texas, Navy Army Community Credit Union, D.M.B. Construction, Stripes, Cricket, Scott Ellison Law Offices, Gignac & Associates, Dr. Harley F. Moody, Steve McMains Law Offices, Appliance Mart, Jordan & Austin Anderson, Grande Communications, Tara & Jason Hoelscher and Crawdaddy’s Restaurant.

Proceeds from the event benefit K Space Contemporary, a 501 (C) 3 non-profit arts organization. We are accepting sponsors and seeking vendors and volunteers. Information about Workshops, Vending, Sponsorship and the Dia de los Muertos holiday is available at www.diadelosmuertoscc.com.

We are very excited to announce the entertainment for El Dia de los Muertos Street Festival, Nov. 2.  At 6:00 pm, there is a DDLM parade up People’s Street, through ArtWalk and down Starr Street ending with a mariachi performance at the Andrews MainStage. Bands scheduled to perform (and make you shake your booty) are:

• Latin Talk, 7:30 to 9 pm
• Los Bad Apples, 9:30 to 10:30 pm
• La Guerrilla, 11 to midnight

And we love the Ballet Folklorico!  On Stage 2 (on Mesquite), 6:45 to 10 pm: Folklorico dance companies that will be performing are:

• Ballet Folkflorico Corpus Christi led by Linda Gracia
• Ballet Folkflorico Viva Mexico led by Stephanie Figueroa,Marisol Trevino, & Gloria VanZante
• Cervera Dance Productions led by Rosie Cervera Leal
• Teresa Saldivar’s Team Dance
• Monica Lucido and Stephanie Keeton—from Austin, Tx.
• Ballet Nacional
• “The Stage”-TAMUCC student dance organization
• Aguilas Blancas

Grace Vega's Booth at DDLM 2011

Vendor Spaces are still available for the Hecho-a-Mano (Made-by-Hand) Arts and Crafts Expo at the 5th Annual Dia de los Muertos Street Festival in downtown Corpus Christi.  We are looking for truly original and unique items.  Artists are required to be present at the festival. Vendors must have a State of Texas Sales Tax and Use Permit.

For Vendor Guidelines and application information visit: http://www.diadelosmuertoscc.com/vendor-information/

Thanks to funding provided by the Coastal Bend Community Foundation and Texas Commission on the Arts, K Space Contemporary is offering Dia de los Muertos themed workshops throughout the month of October.

Workshop projects will include papier mache’, sugar skulls, Linocut Loteria cards, altar boxes and shrines, and cookie decorating.   And for the adults who love a creative happy hour, Masks & Margaritas on Friday, October 12.

Special rates apply for kids. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a paying adult.  View Workshop Schedule here.

Important Dates for the 2012 Dia de los Muertos Street Festival are listed below:

• Friday, November 2nd from 5 pm to midnight – Dia de los Muertos Street Festival
• July 15:  2012 Vendor Information, Sponsorship Information and Pinata Contest Info to be posted to website.  We will begin accepting artist vendor applications and booth fees.
• October 12: Print Deadline for vendors, sponsors, performers to be included on event program.  Sponsors & vendors may continue to sign up through October 27, but will not be represented on the program.  Email logo to: info@kspacecontemporary.org.
• October 20: Piñatas and artworks due at K Space Contemporary for exhibition.
• October 27: Sponsors’ Banners due at K Space Contemporary.  Deadline for vendors to sign up and pay booth fee.  None accepted after this date.

Put on your bright colors and skeleton make-up and join the fun on Starr Street for the 4th Annual Dia de los Muertos Festival!  Dia de los Muertos Street Festival is held in the 400 & 500 blocks of Starr Street in downtown Corpus Christi. The event kicks off Friday, October 28 at 4 pm with a parade to the community altar where a new mural by Ricardo Ruiz, Gerald Lopez, Jimmy Pena, Ricky Ruiz and Day Wheeler will be unveiled.  The festival includes live music, Mariachis, Folklorico dancers, Art Expo, Kids’ Activities, community altar, food, drinks and more.

MasterBlaster SoundSystem 2010

The lead sponsor for this year’s event is Andrews Distributing Company.  The 2011 Dia de los Muertos Street Festival features dance performances and live music including Mariachi Del Mar and six folklorico dance companies.  Early in the evening, guests will be entertained by Libre, Latin Talk and Sonidos del Barrio.  At 10 pm, Piñata Protest takes the stage followed by Corpus Christi’s own Master Blaster Sound System.

El Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) is a traditional holiday in Mexico (Nov. 1 & 2)  during which deceased friends and family members are remembered and celebrated. In the arts, everyday life is represented in skeletal form. Traditional activities include making sugar skulls, baking pan de muerto (sweet bread), and creating ofrendas (altars) that honor the deceased using photos, memorabilia, sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed. A common symbol of Dia de los Muertos is the skull or calavera often represented in masks, candy, and other Dia de los Muertos curios.

Everyone is encouraged to wear a costume.  Door Prizes and an Award for Best Costume will be given away.  Many of  Corpus Christi’s favorite artists will be on hand selling their work and El Dia de los Muertos themed items.

Special additions for 2011 are the Kids’ Corner, and a second stage starring Mariachi Del Mar (Del Mar College Mariachi Band).   Another new addition is the Extravagancia de Piñatas sponsored by NuStar Energy.   Extravagancia de Piñatas is a contest for area K-12 schools (groups/art classes/art clubs) to compete for cash awards to be used for classroom art supplies. Piñatas will be hanging throughout the festival.  Local college students from TAMUCC, TAMUK and Del Mar College are participating as exhibitors and volunteers.  The Texas A & M University Art Department’s “Hold Steady Iron Pouring Crew” will also be on hand offering visitors a chance to create their own miniature iron sculpture.

Roel Palacios & his fabulous masks

The Hecho a Mano Art Expo is not to be missed.  Over 60 local artists offer everything from jewelry to sculpture to all kinds of Dia de los Muertos related trinkets.  Those that are interested in being a vendor will find guidelines and registration information at www.diadelosmuertoscc.com.. All products must be made by hand or must be objects that are embellished by hand.

We are accepting sponsors and seeking volunteers.   Sponsorship information is available at www.diadelosmuertoscc.com  Anyone interested in volunteering may call (361)887-6834.

Dia de los Muertos Street Festival is coordinated by the Electra Art*Axis Tattoo, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi Downtown Management District, and House of Rock. A huge Thank You to our lead sponsor Andrews Distributing Company.  Additional sponsors (so far) include Navy Army Federal Credit Union, NuStar Energy, Grande Communications, Paulette Guajardo – All State Insurance, Rusty Douglas. Appliance Mart – Tinker Floyd, Steve McMains Attorney at Law, A & B Communications, City of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Caller Times, Del Mar College, Fox KUQI, Republic National Distributing Co.  Proceeds from the event benefit K Space Contemporary, a 501 (C) 3 non-profit arts organization.