Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the campus and community to join in the Sixth Annual Day of the Dead: Celebration of Life, Monday, Oct. 27, at the John Spoor Broome Library. Presented by CI Intercultural Services, the Broome Library, and students of the Art program, the free public event features speakers, dancers, music, face painting, crafts, art exhibitions, and the opportunity to participate in creating a giant sand mural altar on the Library Plaza.

Sand Mural Altar Installation – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., join celebrated Chicano artist Fabian Debora as he creates and installs a 7-ton, 20-by-10-foot Mixteco-styled sand mural altar on the Broome Library Plaza. Guests may place their own ofrendas (offerings) on the mural throughout the day to celebrate the lives of loved ones.

Multiple altar installations created by CI students in the Art and Spanish programs, as well as altars from student clubs and The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, will also be on display in the Broome Library Gallery and Alcove through Nov. 9.

Celebration of Life – Speakers, Crafts, Face Painting, and Performances – 5 p.m.
The Celebration of Life begins at 5 p.m., with distinguished community speakers including the Honorable Berenice Díaz Ceballos, Consul de Mexico, Arcenio J. Lopez, Executive Director of Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, and CI campus administrators and faculty. Craft activities will be provided by the School of Education/Credential office and face painting by CI students. The evening will close with peformances by CI’s mariachi band and Ballet Folklórico. A Mixtec translator will be at the program.

El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is a Mexican celebration, rooted in ancient ritual worship and the Spanish Christian holiday of “All Soul’s Day.” Mexican families celebrate the lives of deceased family and friends by creating home altars and placing offerings of everyday life such as pan de muertos (sweet bread baked in shapes of skulls and figures), candles, yellow marigolds known as Cempazuchitl/Zempasuchil, and photos of the departed souls on the altar.

Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes, Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

For additional information contact Kirsten Moss, Director of Multi-Access Programs, at 805-437-3156 or kirsten.moss@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.