Tucked into a corner of a diorama in the children’s section of the Coronado Public Library is a miniature Hotel del Coronado, its iconic red turret set beside two skeletons. Next to it are compadres, or pals, a veracruzano, a native of the Mexican state of Veracruz, and a mariachi dressed in charro, typical cowboy attire, holding a guitar.
In the middle of the scene sits a glowing crown surrounded by colorful skulls, photographs and other Mexican cultural memorabilia. This display is an artistic impression of a Dia de los muertos ofrenda, or altar, an exhibit imagined by Patricia Gonsenheim and brought to life with help from the local community.
Between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, the Day of the Dead celebration, observed in several parts of the world, honors deceased loved ones through these altars, or ofrendas.
According to the Mexico City Government and its Tourism Secretariat, the Day of the Dead in the indigenous worldview implies the transitory return of the souls of the deceased, who return home, to the world of the living, to live with their families and to nourish themselves with the essence of the food that is offered to them on the altars placed in his honor.
“The Souls of the Dead, the angelitos, which is the young children, supposedly come on November 1st. And then the souls of the older people come on November 2nd. And then November 3rd, everything comes down,” said Gonsenheim.
The Day of the Dead celebration’s origin is located in the syncretism between the celebration of the Catholic religious rituals brought by the Spanish and the commemoration of the day of the dead that the indigenous people carried out since Pre-Hispanic times, reads the Secretariat’s cultural events website.
Having lived in Coronado more than half of her life, Gonsenheim, 65, considers herself an American of Spanish heritage. Born in Mexico and living across both neighboring countries beginning at the age of 14, she shares her experience living in a border city.
Like her daughter, Gonsenheim considers herself a product of that upbringing where two cultures merge together all the time, she said.
For the second year in a row, Gonsenheim has brought to life an altar, inspired by her cultural and artistic background.
“I’m an artist so I painted, I made one of the dresses, the other one I bought, but a lot of the art I did myself,” said Gonsenheim. “When I was ready to set it up, I asked the community for help and they were very eager.”
For the past three years, Gonsenheim conducted research and visits to other ofrendas to prepare for a display of Mexican representation in Coronado.
“We have seen community members interact with this exhibit in such wonderful ways,” said Jacqueline Luna, senior librarian for programs, outreach and marketing. “Many have remarked on how special the attention to detail in the exhibit was and how each time they come in they notice something new. It’s always wonderful to see patrons writing in the Ofrenda book’s as well. It’s heartwarming to see how this exhibit has resonated with so many people in our community.”
Visitors to the altar have commemorated their loved ones who have passed away with messages shared inside three notebooks available in front of the altar.
“It’s also a way for people to communicate, to say something to that special person that they love,” said Gonsenheim. “It’s very intimate, it’s very sentimental, it’s lovely. I love the idea that I’m providing this venue for people to communicate with maybe their loved ones that are not here.”
The exhibit is open to all at the library through Nov. 17, accompanied by a lecture from Gonsenheim on Oct 29.
Celebrating Dia de los muertos
Gonsenheim, who previously worked as a docent for The Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park for 20 years, said festivities for Dia de los Muertos begin in the week leading up to November with an altar usually set up on Oct. 28.
“You are preparing the whole week before then and, when you set it up, all of the things are supposed to be fresh,” said Gonsenheim. “That’s why the ofrenda stays up for only three or four days.”
For the ofrenda in Coronado, Gonsenheim prepared an explanatory list with numbers that identify more than a dozen elements across the display including photographs, candles and deep-orange to yellow cempasuchil (marigolds, the iconic flower of the Day of the Dead).
Gonsenheim noted that food and drinks that honor a specific loved one are key in any ofrenda set up in homes.
“People ask ‘Well what happens to the food afterwards?’” said Gonsenheim. “Supposedly when the souls come, they eat the essence of the food … and then, as a way to honor them, the person that set up the ofrenda, you would eat that food.”
Gonsenheim said she hopes families will be encouraged to set up their own ofrenda following her lecture on Oct. 29.
“I hope to bring the community together and have people understand a little bit more about the history,” said Gonsenheim. “To get people to start doing that, even the Mexican community that lives here that has never done that.”
An ofrenda for Coronado
This year’s ofrenda at the library was intended to integrate American and Mexican cultures with the goal of bringing the history of Coronado into it.
“What I wanted to do was create it for Coronado with a Mexican influence,” said Gonsenheim.
For this reason, Gonsenheim asked the Coronado Historical Association for pictures of the founders of Coronado and other influential figures.
“That’s what the ofrenda is for,” said Gonsenheim, “the founders of Coronado … I wanted it to be about the community.”
Personal ties
While Gonsenheim has not celebrated the event all of her life, she said moving to Coronado gave her family an opportunity to do so.
Gonsenheim said family members put up their first altar after her daughter learned about the celebration at school and asked if they could set one up.
“This was my first time that I was extremely emotional seeing all the pictures of our dead friends and relatives,” said Gonsenheim. ”It was not a huge altar, … but it was enough that brought us closer to our dead friends and family. So every time I would walk by, I felt very sentimental.”
The Gonsenheim family has continued this tradition for several years now.
Gonsenheim said Dawn Richards from the Coronado Cultural Association initially reached out to her and the idea to bring this Mexican celebration to Coronado was born after the pandemic.
Although there were years of difficulties finding the right space, Gonsenheim said the library is an ideal venue.
“It’s bringing … the Mexican culture into Coronado, but it’s also respectful of the Coronado founders,” she said.
“The display last year was only up for a short period of time and had so much to it that we felt it would be wonderful to showcase it in a larger format this year,” said Luna.
The amount of added space shocked Gonsenheim at first but the support to bring it to fruition was immediate.
“When I looked at it, I was floored, I said ‘How am I going to fill this space … it’s huge,’” said Gonsenheim. “But then ideas started coming and friends started offering things that we could put in there.”
One of those pieces is a colorful alebrije, a museum piece, that resembles a flying dragon-like mythical creature that holds significance as the spirit animal that represents a guide for the souls.
Gonsenheim said several families contributed with visual elements and almost a dozen people helped her install the display in early September.
“I think it’s really important for us to remember our dead friends and family because that way they don’t disappear, they stay alive in our heart, in our minds, and every year that we have an ofrenda you remember them,” added Gonsenheim. “It brings you back to your roots. It makes you remember and honor the people that have gone before you.”
