Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures Collections Manager Kat Bertram teamed up with guest curator Jody Snow to educate the Fort Collins community about Día de Muertos celebrations in Oaxaca, Mexico. This year’s exhibit puts a new twist on Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

“I feel like most people are loosely aware of Day of the Dead but don’t really understand the specifics of it or what really what goes into the celebration,” Bertram said.

This is Bertram’s first year at the museum. She and Snow aim to educate the public on the traditions and culture behind Día de Muertos through the exhibit.

“A lot of people in town have traveled the world and have gotten really beautiful artifacts from the various countries around the world. But all those artifacts do is sit around in their houses, … appreciated only by them. With this museum, they’re able to bring their beautiful works in for display.” –Garth McCann, Global Village Museum board member

“This year, we were trying to branch out and do something a little different,” Bertram said. “We’re looking at Oaxaca. It’s a city in Mexico, and it’s within the state of Oaxaca as well, and essentially, we’re looking at how it is celebrated in the streets.”

Creating the exhibit has proven to be a community effort. Museum staff and community members stepped in to decorate skeletons, create art for the exhibit and to support Snow in her mission to bring the Oaxaca streets to life.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled to Oaxaca, so when the opportunity presented itself (for me) to come here, volunteer and do an exhibit for Day of the Dead, I thought it would be really fun to bring Oaxaca to me,” Snow said.

Sherry Gardner and Garth McCann, board members for the museum, reflected on the community the museum aims to build.

“We’re both on the board, and so we have monthly meetings, and we get to come and make remarks … and talk about board matters,” Gardner said. “For me it’s community and all this beauty. I just love it.”

Inspired by her own travels to Oaxaca, Snow’s exhibit is full of personal touches. Interactive pieces dot the exhibit, including photo albums and notes written in Spanish. Segmented into areas resembling cafes, cemeteries and ofrendas, the exhibit provides an intimate look into Oaxacan life during Día de Muertos celebrations.

“A lot of people in town have traveled the world and have gotten really beautiful artifacts from the various countries around the world,” McCann said. “But all those artifacts do is sit around in their houses, … appreciated only by them. With this museum, they’re able to bring their beautiful works in for display.”

Complete with live music, bright Oaxaca colors and local artwork, opening night proved a colorful place for Snow to tell her story and educate the community. The exhibit runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m Tuesday through Saturday until Nov. 23.

Reach Ella Dorpinghaus at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.