About The Altar Show

In 1994 an independent group of Sacramento artists cooperated to develop an installation exhibit called "Altares del Mundo" which was based in the Indo-Hispanic tradition of offerings at the graves of the beloved dead on El Dia De Los Muertos, or 'The Day of the Dead', the Hispanic tradition brought north from Mexico which evolved from the merging of Western european and Indo-American cultures created when Spain conquered Mexico. The show was so powerful for both altaristas and viewers that it has become an annual event. You can read the history of the Sacramento Altares del Mundo at their website www.altares.net.

Altares del Mundo is a gift from the artists to the community. All costs in money and energy are borne by the Altaristas and their friends, and there is no charge for visitors.

The Altar Show - In Nevada County, 1998

Nevada County artists who had participated in the Sacramento Altares were so enthralled with their experiences that they yearned to establish the show in Nevada County, but the large "phantom galleries" (temporarily empty buildings) used by the Sacramento group are not available in our smaller community. In 1997, with the blessings of the Sacramento Altares group, the first 'Altar Show in Nevada County' took place at the newly opened Northern California Center for the Arts in Grass Valley.

The exhibit was produced by an independent cooperative group of artists, as in Sacramento, using approximately the same organization and format. Forty-four altars were installed for the 1998 Altar Show in Nevada County, as well as the large, traditional "community altar" which is a place for visitors to leave notes, photos, and mementos for their own beloved dead.

"Skeletons At The Feast"
by Maureen Gilmer
1998

Altar makers, "Altaristas", pay a sizable entry fee for the privilege of installing an altar and tending it for an exhibition period of two to three weeks. Altaristas and friends often donate altar space fees for other artists. Since this is a cooperative endeavor altaristas act as docents during all open hours and do all the work necessary for the production of this large show.  Altaristas also provide food for public events, including the opening reception. Orientation meetings and private opening and closing ceremonies are held for Altaristas.

In addition, one hundred thirteen viewers and Altaristas put themselves on a list as potential Altaristas in 1999. This became the mailing list when meetings began for planning the 1999 Altar Show in the Foothills.

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The Altar Show - In The Foothills, 1999

The 1999 Altar Show exhibition took place October 29th to November 9th in two wings of the Northern Mines Building at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Almost one hundred altaristas, ranging in age from twelve to eighty-four participated in installing fifty-six altars and a large community altar. As in 1998, we received encouraging and exciting feedback from altaristas and visitors.

"An Altar For The Living"
by Aaron Braude
1999
(b., September 8, 1910 - d., March 31, 2004)

Two special events were well attended: Sharyn McDonald, M.A., facilitator of groups studying ancient ways, presented "Elements of Altars" and Stan Padilla, Native American artist and teacher, spoke on "Bright Morning Star." He led a procession and gave us a demonstration of traditional spiritual ofrendas for the Day Of The Dead ceremonies.

A school outreach committee printed and distributed the study guide developed by by the Sacramento Altares group with the assistance of a grant from the California Arts Council. There was more classroom and group altars in 1999, and we hoped to represent ever more facets of Nevada County in the coming years.

A number of 1998 visitors and altaristas assisted in the 1999 production, although not making altars. Their efforts were much appreciated by the busy Altaristas. Bruce Doan tackled the huge job of webmaster.

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The Altar Show - Altares Del Mundo, 2000

About fifteen hundred visitors appreciated the Altar Show at the Nevada County Fairgrounds between October 27th and November 5th in 2000, our third year.

Viewers were amused, moved and fascinated by the fifty-four installations, which included twelve table altars as well as forty larger altars around the walls. David Osborn and Charles Woods' Nevada City nostalgia altar in the middle of the South Wing drew many old-time Nevada Citians, who could be seen finding miniature photos of themselves and their friends and tiny posters and notices of Nevada City events from the last hundred years.

A Sunday morning hands-on workshop on the meaning and making of traditional Mexican sugar skulls was given by Stan Padilla, and his altar with many sugar skulls was even more appreciated by viewers who had made skulls.

Nevada County Fairgrounds
2000

The beautiful all-white Community Altar, with a fountain loaned by Ben Franklin, was covered with ofrendas (offerings) from visitors: photographs, art pieces, candles, poems, and many notes. It is very moving for us to watch visitors come in with their tears and treasures for this Altar.

Altaristas and their guests roared with enthusiasm during a two hour drumming performance by Bob Scarlett's drummers on Halloween night. The only lights in the two wings were candles and glimmering lights on altars, and the effect was completely magical.

John and Sky Mowen's beautiful stone sanctuary sculpture, called Altar to the Dawn was raffled to a happy visitor on closing night.

The board works all year to organize and publicize, in an effort to make things go more smoothly and with less effort from Altaristas. We are now non-profit, under the auspices of the American Victorian Museum, and the exhibit has become a permanent part of the Nevada County community.

We are always excited to welcome new groups and individuals as Altaristas, and touched by those who have made this large effort repeatedly since 1998. It's a big commitment, and we honor those who are willing to make it.

There is no other exhibition anything like Altares del Mundo in the County. It's a safe place for honoring passions, and a unique venue for experimental art.

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The Altar Show - Renewal and Remembrance, 2005

The eighth annual Altar Show ran October 28 through November 6th, 2005 and had grown in size to fill all three wings of the Northern Mines Building at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, providing the largest gallery space ever and creating even more opportunity for participation by new Altaristas. Stan Padilla lead a 'Walk Of Life' prayer through the fairgrounds and also spoke about Community, Death and El Dia De Los Muertos. Cathryn Fairlee, Storyteller presented relevant stories for adults and children.

"The Community Altar"
prepared by Annie Clinton
2005

Most altars were heavily influenced by The Day Of The Dead. A number of altars were also influenced by the 'War in Iraq'. Although it is important to understand the historical context in which the altars are conceived, it is perhaps more relevant to accept each altar as the small personal temple that it is.

A Community Altar occupied the central room connecting the three wings of the building. It had been purposely left unfinished...the public was invited to leave a votive candle, photo, memento or message, to remember and honor a loved one, including a remembrance for the many that lost their lives in the disasters of 2005: the tsunami, hurricanes, earthquake, flood and war. The visitors responded by creating a memorable, unique shrine that was a central part of the Eighth Annual Altar Show.

The Altar Show is a gift from the Altaristas to the community. Our hope is that this gift will touch in some important way. What is revealed before you are servings of the human experience, the very thing that connects us all.

The Altar Show Board - 2005:
Annie Clinton, Stephen Edwards, Meg Hughes,
Elena Lokvig, Gary Petersen, Charles Woods & Teddy Kell - Altarista Emeritus

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The Ninth Annual Altar Show -
Renewal and Remembrance, 2006
dedicated to the Altarista Sisters and Brothers now living in another world:
Aaron Braude (1910-2004); Gillian Esme Hodge (1927-2001)
Carol Jean Mathis (1941-2004); David Sayles Osborn (1932-2002) and
Elizabeth Stock-Gonzalez (1961-2005)

The altars in the ninth annual Altar Show were gifts to the community from the neighbors and friends who live on the Western Slope of California's Sierra Nevada Foothills. Ages range from eight to seventy-six and were comprised of ordinary people: students, retired persons, artists, shopkeepers, gardeners, teachers.

9th Annual Altar Show Catalog, 2006
Printing contributed by John Mathis-Davies
,in memory of his mother Carol Mathis, were made on a Colorstar 2018 copy machine;
Design by Charles Woods of Osborn/Woods;
Assembled by Altar Show Volunteers
 
David Osborn completed the
Butterfly-Rainbow signet
of the Altar Show organization
the afternoon before his death,
January 10, 2002.

The altars were neither judged nor juried. The Catalog statements were edited only for obvious errors, but not for style.

Altars were as diverse as the region. Created using a wide variety of methods, media and techniques, they showed an extraordinary range of interests and approaches. The altars are memorials, statements, concepts, exercises, creations that represent our feelings, emotions, conflicts, causes, worries and memories. They issue from tne common ground of human experience.

Exhibiting Altaristas also served on committees and acted as docents during the show. The 'staff' was entirely volunteer with the Board was in charge of organizing the event. Contributions were most welcome, because admission was free to the public.

We hope you felt the emotion of each artist and sensed that we are all connected by our experiences through celebrations of 'Renewal and Remembrance'.

Exhibiting Altaristas, Volunteers, and the 2006 Altar Show Board:
Annie Clinton, Stephen Edwards, Sarah Hendrickson,
Meg Hughes, Charles Woods & Teddy Kell - Altarista Emeritus

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The Tenth Annual Altar Show -
Renewal and Remembrance,
October 26 - November 4, 2007
IN MEMORIAM
to the Altaristas that have crossed over
and to EVELYN MERCEDES HALL (1927 - 2007)

Ten years ago, Altarista, artist and teacher, Teddy Kell, brought the Altar Show concept to Nevada County as a result of her experience with the Sacramento EI Dia de los Muertos. We are grateful for her inspiration, love, insight and stewardship.

The Altar Show is associated with The American Victorian Museum (AVM) nonprofit educational foundation of Nevada City, California. The AVM was established in 1972 by David Osborn and Charles Woods when they initiated the conversion of historic Miners Foundry (1856 et. seq.) into a cultural center. For fifteen years it was the site of numerous civic and artistic events. The AVM also started community radio KVMR 89.5 FM (originally Victorian Museum Radio - now known as Valley Mountain Radio), and was the birthplace of Foothill Theatre Company, Performing Arts Guild and the California Heritage Council. Its community involvement continues today with the Altar Show and the Annual International Teddy Bear Convention - now in its 25th Silver Anniversary year. Contributions and donations to The Altar Show are tax deductible under Section 501(c)3 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

Detail from the altar for
Laura Ellan Marie Freeman
(b., April 10, 1990 - d., September 22, 2007)
by Ann Marie, Natalie Jaggi, and Friends of Laura

Thank you to our guests and Volunteer staff, with special thanks to Bill Carlquist (NCTV) Sue Coziah, Willem DeGroot, Pam Jung, Judith Lowry, Pamela & Steve Gorman, Grass Valley Grocery Outlet, Mary Henderson, Terri Hicklin (NCTV), KVMR 89.5 FM, Terry Meekins, Lu Mellado, Nevada County Fairgrounds Board & Staff, Nevada County Peace Center, Nevada County TeleVision (NCTV), Stan Padilla, Dixie Redfearn, SPD Markets, Barry Schoenborn, Weiss Bros. Nursery, Willow Valley Software, Nancy Zeno.

Exhibiting Altaristas also serve on committees and act as docents during the show. The Staff is entirely volunteer and the Board organizes the event. We rely solely on donations, guests' contributions and modest exhibitor entrance fees. Because admission is free to the public, donations are most welcome. They are tax deductible through our associate The American Victorian Museum nonprofit educational foundation under section 501(c)3.

The 2007 Altar Show Board:
Annie Clinton, Stephen Edwards, Sarah Hendrickson,
Meg Hughes, Teddy Kell, and Charles Woods

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The Eleventh Annual Altar Show -
Art of Renewal and Remembrance,
October 26 - November 4, 2008

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Charity Bryson: In Memory Of Evelyn Mercedes Hall (1927-2007),
Lynnlee (Ari) Lyckberg: In Memory Of Her Parents - Harold And Alice Schaar,
Robyn Martin: Honoring Cedar Of Olala Farms,
Ella O'bryan: Honoring All People Of The World,
and Lin Schiffner.

Dedicated to the dead
By David Mirhadi, Staff Writer
The Union Newspaper
October 27, 2008

He had been up for hours, painstakingly working on the depiction of a butterfly's metamorphosis from caterpillar to a winged insect, in flight.

It has been only a few weeks since Robert Mumm's brother, John, died of an ailment that baffled doctors until the end.

And when John Mumm passed recently at the age of 82, Robert Mumm decided to memorialize the life the two shared together, growing up in Camptonville.

"Metamorphosis is one of the fundamentals of life, if we can get through it," Robert Mumm said. "John's been a part of my life forever. If we have the opportunity to further that memory in some way, it's a very beautiful experience."

Detail from the altar for
Laura Ellan Marie Freeman
Elena Lokvig works on her altar,
'What Is Handed Down from Our Grandmothers,'
at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.
Photo for The Union by John Hart

Robert Mumm's artwork was one of nearly 60 pieces of art that derives its roots from a Mexican tradition of honoring the dead. The 11th annual Northern Sierra Foothills Altar Show commenced Sunday, and runs through Election Day at the Northern Mines building at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.

Memorials on display commemorated war dead, animals, even a tribute to the late Paul Newman, who died last month.

The altar to the star of such movies as "Cool Hand Luke" featured movie posters, even samples of some of his namesake salad dressings and popcorn. The bottom of the memorial celebrated his longtime marriage to actress Joanne Woodward.

Some of the murals paid homage to animals lost. Giza Valentine Kelley of Nevada City created a tent that memorialized her Australian Kelpie, DucheeGirl, who was killed along the Golden Center Freeway just before Christmas last year.

The memorial, and the pain of losing her best friend, helped Kelley let go of her emotions, she said.

"She was just such an extraordinary girl," Kelley said.

Other murals had more universal themes, such as the one created by the American Friends Service Committee, which depicted civilians and military personnel killed in the Iraq war.

Names of the dead were memorialized on tags attached to combat boots and shoes.

Charles Woods brought several altars to the show, including one that memorialized the people he's known and the buildings that have been lost in Nevada City since he arrived in 1957.

One of the pictures on his particle-board creation showed a man he called "Stan the Indian Wrestler," who would stand at the corner of Pine and Broad streets with other out-of-work miners decades ago.

"It's fascinating to see the history," Woods said. "It's kind of sad, too."

To contact Staff Writer David Mirhadi, e-mail dmirhadi@theunion.com or call 477-4239.

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WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO: Teddi Alves, Kat Barrie, Billy Buster, Stephen Edwards, Pam Jung, Judith Lowry, Pamela and Steve Gorman, Sarah Hendrickson, 89.5-FM KVMR Radio, Elena Lokvig for taking over Elizabeth Ormand's duties, Lu Mellado, NCTV, Nevada County Fairgrounds Board and Staff, David Richardson, Barry Schoenborn, The Union Newspaper, Weiss Bros. Nursery, Nancy Zeno and her Reception Committee.

We would be delighted if you would join us as a participating altarista or volunteer for the TWELFTH ANNUAL ALTAR SHOW, OCTOBER 25 THROUGH NOVEMBER 1, 2009. E-mail The Altar Show Board at info@thealtarshow.org to be placed on the mailing list. We are grateful for your help, interest, contributions and comments. We do not share our mailing list.

The 2008 Altar Show Board:
Lhesli Benedict, Morgan Best, Donald Bowels, Annie Clinton, Brenda Collins,
Stephen Edwards, Suzie Hayter, Meg Hughes, James Mullen, Mia Nash,
Elizabeth Ormond, Lois Shelton, Charles Woods,
and Teddy Kell-Altarista Emeritus