3rd annual Dia de los Muertos altarpiece celebrates lives of the dead

Instead of celebrating Halloween by watching scary movies and eating obscene amounts of candy, Jaime Sweany, owner of Wandering Turtle Art Gallery & Gifts, has created an altarpiece to celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which celebrates the spirits of the dead rather than fears.

The idea to have an altarpiece on display in Bloomington came when Sweany visited the Indianapolis Arts Center and saw its rendition, where multiple altars honoring the lives of the dead lined the hallways, she said.

Sweany then constructed her own altarpiece in Wandering Turtle, where anyone could come in and add an item to honor the spirit of a loved one. Little slips of paper are also available for visitors to write notes to place on the altar.

“People have had a wonderful response to the altar over the years,” Sweany said. “The idea of staying connected with someone you’ve lost and keeping their memory alive is a beautiful thing.”

In previous years, artists have displayed their work in conjunction with the altar. This year, artist Gilbert Candelaria from Santa Fe, N.M., will display his work.

Candelaria has made a name for himself in the industry by taking objects he collects from garage sales and trash bins and constructing recycled pieces of art. Many of his pieces are night lights, one of which is made out of a cheese grater.

Candelaria met Sweany while displaying his work in a booth at the Contemporary Hispanic Arts Festival in Santa Fe. After spending hours talking about art and tattoos, Sweany invited Candelaria to display his work at Wandering Turtle.

“Gilbert is truly one of those genuinely nice human beings, and his work is unlike anything you’ve seen before,” Sweany said. “His past and the stories he tells through his art are so inspirational.”

Candelaria has been an artist for 15 years. Before this, he worked as an X-ray technician with a specialty in radiology. After seeing people struggling every day in the hospital, Candelaria decided to use his art as a way to celebrate life and bring smiles to people’s faces.

“When you wake up every morning, that is a gift, and you should always be grateful for it,” Candelaria said. “When you find yourself whining about stupid stuff or getting stressed about school, just chill out, take a breather, realize you’re alive and be happy about that.”

The altar Candelaria has created for Wandering Turtle pays tribute to his favorite artists and celebrates the beauty of life. Each new piece of art he creates always has a different result, but all are intended to make people think, he said.

“I always have some sort of thought to inspire a piece, but the medium takes the wheel and things just happen,” Candelaria said. “As long as I get a smile or a grin out of people, I’ve done my job.”