Day of the Dead Festival

Celebrate Day of the Dead in Ajo

Ajo’s 2nd Annual Day of the Dead Arts Festival will be held Sunday, November 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at aVita boutique and the Chu Chu Club.

This year the event has expanded to include more children’s activities:
Decorating Sugar Skulls
A children’s craft table
An Ofrenda (a Mexican altar honoring deceased ancestors)
Dia de los Muertos ritual symbolism such as Pan de Muertos bread.

Children and Parents are invited to visit:
Ajo art teacher Allison Venturella have children creating paper streamers and decorative Guatemalan kites.
Artist Jackie Andes will offer decorating Sugar Skulls
Potter Karen Sucharski will be at a children’s crafts table

An Ofrenda will be constructed (we are hoping ACFA members will create this) for an interactive experience. We need an artist to create a skeleton to perch on the top of the Ofrenda (which can be sold/raffled off).

The festival will include:
Folkloric Dancing
Face painting
Live music with a DJ
Food vendors
Artists and crafters
T-shirts for sale created by Jackie Andes
Beer garden sponsored by the ChuChu Club
And more to come!

We need you and hope you can support the arts festival by being a vendor or volunteer. There is a $25 vendor fee for participating artists and crafters. Contact Jovita Wallace if you’d like to join us!

Dia de los Muertos

Ajo artists celebrated the Day of the Dead in fine style last night — the first show of the new season opened in the Plaza Gallery amid wonderful art, lots of visiting and colourful costumes.

Desert Plants & Patterns

Here are the winning photographs in the next two categories of the Sonoran Shindig photo contest held earlier this year. Click on any image to see a  slide show or hover over a photo to see the title and photographer.

Desert Patterns

Dawn Reeder “Frostbite”

Sandy McBride “Saguaro Flowers”

Darlene Reddick “You Like My Lichen”

Desert Plants

Therese Wilson “Hedgehog Flower”

Ekkehard Fischer “Hedgehog Cactus in Bloom”

Darlene Reddick “Ajo Lily”

Next up — People in the Desert & Desert Places

Ajo’s Artist Festival & More

Did you make it to the Artist Festival last weekend? See the Quilt Show? Hear the Old Time Fiddlers? So much was happening in Ajo I don’t know if anyone got to do it all.

Ajo is fortunate to have so many talented people — some live here year round, some spend the winter here, others drop in for special events. No matter who you are or where you’re from, we love to see you. And thank you for sharing your gifts with us.

Here are some shots from the first annual Artist Festival. Judging by the enthusiastic comments from artists, browsers and buyers, this event will be back next year.

Early arrivals start setting up the tents.

Arranging the cascarones display.

Cascarones

Assemblage by Joyce Chaney.

What is Assemblage?

Assemblage

Yummy! Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Mike Baker, Artist Festival organizer, sets up the Desert Artist Guild booth.

Painting by Diane Carnright.

Work by Joyce Dodd Harcharik.

Fabric Artist Regina Browne demonstrated her technique in the Plaza Gallery.

Weaver Jolene Northup brought her loom and several pieces of finished work.

A perfect day under the Plaza palms.

Photographer Rene Cloutier (r) with some of his work.

Art in the Plaza

Artists Karen Sucharski and Jude Varnum find some time to visit.

A little entertainment always makes the day more enjoyable.

Works of art in fabric.

Quilts on display.

The annual Quilt Show draws a big crowd with lots of “Oooo’s” and “Ahhh’s”.

 

Ajo Art & Music Festival

If you haven’t been in Ajo for the annual bash sponsored by Ajo Arts Alive, you’re in for a real treat. If you’ve attended in the past, you know how much fun it is. And if you hope to sample even a small part of all the activities roller skates would be helpful 😉