Happy Deathday

The United States should be so glad we're the "melting pot." Without all the influences from other cultures, we'd be pretty damn boring. Just think of the hell we'd live in without occasional curry, oregano and cayenne pepper. That's putting it too simply though, so here's a better example: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The stiff and non-celebratory folk buried a loved one, cried a bit in privacy and the next year, probably got a pit-of-the-stomach ache for the lost but didn't really express themselves. But Latin American folk (many of the countries included in that name celebrate in widely varied ways) take the opportunity to fully appreciate All Saints' and All Souls' Days with bright, two-day (at least) celebrations to honor those that have passed and remember their importance in the lives of those still living. The Bath House Cultural Center does the same with its annual Dia de los Muertos group art exhibition. The show offers an expanded theme that includes ideas and things that are no longer, in addition to people. Featuring more than 80 works, the Bath House celebrates the 21st year with traditional altars, photographs, sculpture, paintings and more. Check it out noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays (or until 10 p.m. on evenings with theater events in the center) at 521 E. Lawther Drive through November 10. Call 214-670-8749 or visit bathhousecultural.com.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 12-6 p.m. Starts: Oct. 13. Continues through Nov. 10, 2007