Days of the Dead

In August 2008 BAC Folk Arts initiated a year-long project called Days of the Dead in Brooklyn, Diverse Traditions of Mourning and Remembrance (DODB). The primary goal of the project was to heighten public awareness of Brooklyn-based community and family arts practices related to mourning and remembrance. Public programs including performances, lecture-demos, and symposia were presented at a range of venues throughout 2008-2009. Generally death and dying in the United States are ignored, denied or treated with a somber sense of privacy and isolation. But in traditional communities death is often addressed with directness and understanding because the means of mourning are readily available in various arts practices.