Catrinas en Mi Ciudad on the Auraria Campus

Auraria Campus will welcome a monumental Día de Muertos altar to the heart of campus this fall as part of an annual cultural arts presentation celebrating Mexican artistry, remembrance, cultural memory, and community.

Catrinas en Mi Ciudad is an annual presentation put on by the Auraria Campus, normally occurring inside the Tivoli Atrium. This year, we are expanding this presentation to a monumental sculptural altar overlooking the Tivoli Quad.

The Día de Los Muertos altar will be produced by Jaén Cartonería, artisans from Mexico City. These artisans specialize in monumental art pieces made by hand.

The piece will be completed Thursday, Oct. 8, where there will be a Community Dedication and Candle Illumination ceremony. The event will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and is open to public by RSVP HERE. The altar will remain in place through Tuesday, Nov. 3.

When complete, the sizeable piece will stand over 32 feet long, 16 feet high, and four feet deep. The installation combines a wood structure with traditional Mexican cartonería elements, painted finishes, and warm LED illumination.

At the center of the altar is an illuminated Corazón Milagrito, or Milagro heart, surrounded by intricate floral ornamentation and imagery drawn from Mexican folk-art traditions. Hummingbirds, butterflies, marigolds, calaveras, candles, food offerings, and decorative papel picado come together across multiple levels of the altar. Vertical decorative elements bearing
the name AURARIA extend the installation outward, connecting the traditional artwork to its
setting on campus.

The outdoor installation is intended to create a highly visible cultural gathering place where
Auraria Campus students, faculty, staff, and members of the greater Denver community can
experience and participate in traditions associated with Día de Muertos.

This project was made possible through our generous sponsor, Donor Alliance. Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation in Colorado and most of Wyoming. As a federally designated organ procurement organization, Donor Alliance serves more than 6.3 million residents and more than 100 hospitals. Donor Alliance walks alongside the family during the organ recovery process and ensures their loved one’s gifts are safely received at transplant centers in a timely manner. Donor Alliance also facilitates tissue donation to save and heal more lives across our community.

Donor Alliance is proud to support Auraria Campus and Catrinas en Mi Ciudad in celebration of Día de Muertos, a tradition rooted in honoring loved ones, celebrating their lives and keeping their memory alive, values that resonate deeply with the donor families and communities they serve.