Honoring the Spirit: A Day of the Dead Ofrenda Conversation

Event Details

Join the Des Moines Art Center for an exploration of what it means to honor the spirit — of loved ones, of cultural traditions, and of movements that have advanced justice and strengthened our communities.

At the center of the conversation is this year’s Day of the Dead ofrenda, created by poet and artist Michaela Mullin, in honor of her mother, Felicia Leon Mullin, and alongside local organizations which are continuing to advance the quality of life for all Iowans. Through the ofrenda and this year’s theme, Sí Se Puede!, panelists will consider how we remember those who have contributed to civil and human rights work, how their values live on through the people and communities they influenced, and why this work remains urgent today.

Opening with a brief Know Your Rights presentation led by Karina Sanchez of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission, this program will feature a conversation with Mullin; Vince Valdez, historian, filmmaker, and longstanding Day of the Dead committee member; and Erica Johnson, the founding Executive Director of Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice. Art Center Senior Manager of Museum Learning and Engagement, Mia Buch, will moderate. Join us for an inspiring conversation about remembrance, immigrant rights, community action, and carrying the work of previous generations forward.

Free; no registration required.

Image: The ofrenda at the Art Center’s 2025 Day of the Dead event. Photo: Erik Brockmeyer.