BARE HANDS INC MEMORIAL ALTAR BOX CLASS

Bare Hands, Inc. has created and contributed to a number of community arts outreach projects over the years. From our public events to our long-running Bare Hands Art Club partnership with the YWCA of Central Alabama, to workshop packets for classrooms and on-site classes, to art and education installations in partnership with organizations like the Birmingham Museum of Art and Homewood Library, we have endeavored to fulfill and enhance our mission and vision.

In 2023, we were able to share our mission and vision through a City of Birmingham Community Arts Grant in partnership with Create Birmingham. With our grant partners, Woodlawn Neighborhood Association and muralist Dewon Moton, we used the funding to host Memorial Altar Box Classes for Birmingham residents. The classes offered opportunities to learn about the traditions of Día de los Muertos and to create a personal remembrance. Dewon Moton created a mural for the Día de los Muertos festival inspired by the community workshops. The Woodlawn Neighborhood Association helped coordinate outreach and workshop locations to maximize engagement across the city.

Making a memorial altar (ofrenda) for a lost loved one for the Day of the Dead is a creative and rewarding way to remember them.  We recommend using a small box, like a cigar box or shoebox.  Often a small altar box becomes the building block of A larger altar that you may want to create in the future.

Things that will be provided (but feel free to bring your own as well):

1 small cigar box – something like a cigar box or shoebox.
An assortment of silk or dried flowers and a variety of decorations like beads, rhinestones and fringe.
Art supplies of all sorts – paints, glitter, ribbons, markers, decoupage glue, etc.
Things to bring with you:

Color copies of photos of the departed – even if the photos are black & white, color copies give the best result.
Small replicas or images of things they enjoyed – foods, beverages, hobbies, sports, work, organizations, books, shows.
Copies of letters, postcards, ticket stubs, quotes.
Things that remind you of them.
Most boxes begin with a photo and build from there, layer by layer.  You can look up “small ofrenda boxes” on the internet to find inspiration images.  Then, let your heart and imagination be your guide!

*We recommend making copies of original items so that irreplaceable mementos are not lost or damaged.