A hauntingly familiar theme is back in The Gallery of Lakeland. Always a fan favorite, the biennial skeleton show turns the gallery into a crazy collection of every kind of skeleton art imaginable. The pieces are amazing, hilarious, spooky and magical. The show, titled “The Skull and Skeleton in Art V: Folk Art to Pop Culture” is now open and runs through Nov. 3, 2017. The gallery is located on the first floor of the D-Building on Lakeland’s main campus, at 7700 Clocktower Dr., Kirtland, Ohio, 44094. All shows are free and open to the public.

The exhibition first graced the gallery in 2009 as a means to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, an integral part of the art and culture of Mexico, and otherwise known as the “Day of the Dead.” That show featured 18 artists. The exhibition theme became enormously popular with the 2011 show growing to 55 artists. In 2013, 64 artists participated, and 83 artists submitted works in 2015. This year, the show boasts over 100 national, regional and local artists; drawing from Northeast Ohio, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. In all, 275 works are on display, representing a variety of media including oil/ acrylic/watercolor painting, textiles/fiber, printmaking, drawing, photography, digital art, sculpture, glass, wood, ceramics/ceramic sculpture, mixed media, assemblage art and jewelry. Many items are available for sale.

In addition to the show, an artist reception, costume party and Boneyard Market is slated for Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, from 6-9 p.m. in the gallery. The Boneyard Market will feature artist vendors selling skull and skeleton-themed items. Also in the gallery, is an ofrenda or temporary alter that was created by the Urban Community School Middle School Art Club to honor the memories of departed relatives and friends.

About Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos, invites the participant to acknowledge the fact that death is a constant companion from birth, not to be feared, but to be joked with and accepted as a friend.

What was once reserved as a logo for pirates and poison labels, skulls have taken over America’s pop culture. However, long before heavy metal bands used skulls on album artwork and fashion designers emblazoned their textiles, Latin America artists were creating Mexican skull art for the Dia de los Muertos, traditionally celebrated Nov. 2. The gallery’s timely exhibit coincides with the traditional use of skulls and skeletons for Halloween and with Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 16 through Oct. 15.

“It’s about embracing life and death and our mortality,” said Mary Urbas, Lakeland Fine Art Gallery coordinator, exhibit curator and life-long collector of skull art and artifacts. “I took a life changing trip to Mexico in the early 90s and embraced its cultural diversity and folk art. The rest, as the saying goes is history,” said Urbas.

About the gallery

The Gallery at Lakeland presents seven art exhibitions each year, in addition to an annual Holiday Artists’ Market that benefits the Lakeland Visual Arts Student Exhibition. These exhibitions support and advance recognition of Lakeland’s fine arts academic programs; diversity efforts at the college; community arts groups; local, regional and national artists; as well as local high school all-star artists.

For more information about the show, tours or the gallery, contact Mary Urbas, gallery coordinator at murbas@lakelandcc.edu or call 440.525.7029.

Gallery Hours:

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Weekends, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

By: Mary Urbas, Marketing Communications Spcls