Nogueron ’17 Painting in Exhibit
MONMOUTH, Ill. – A painting by a 2017 Monmouth College graduate is part of an exhibit in Chicago that pays tribute to Mexicans who have died of COVID.
Azul Nogueron, who majored in art and minored in women’s studies, is one of several artists featured in the exhibit, titled “Día de Muertos – A Time to Grieve & Remember.” It opens Sept. 10 at Chicago’s National Museum of Mexican Art, serving as the museum’s 35th annual Day of the Dead exhibition.
A Mexican holiday associated with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the Day of the Dead is held on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and to remember friends and family members who have died.
The organizers say that this year’s exhibit is especially significant because it offers an opportunity to mourn together, following a time during the pandemic when many were heartbroken to be unable to spend time with loved ones in their final days or have traditional memorial services.
“The collective act of mourning is a fundamental aspect of our annual Day of the Dead commemorations, and offers a healing way to acknowledge, accept and bear the inevitable,” reads a statement about the museum’s “time-honored” tradition. “We invite you to contemplate this moment with new artistic expressions by local artists and site-specific installations created by artists from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.”