Day of the Dead Art Show
By: KSAN
Updated: November 2, 2012
Folk artist Andres Gonzales is inviting the public to come and remember loved ones this weekend through art at the third annual day of the dead art show - called Recuerdos. Lauren Lanmon has more. "A lot of people think that the day of the dead as being the Mexican Halloween, which is totally not, you know it was just a pagan holiday back in the day, and like any other pagan holiday, it was involved with Christianity, and it's another way of Christianity celebrated throughout the world. And it's not just about sugar skulls and everything i like to think about it as remembering your loved ones." Growing up Gonzales has always enjoyed art work - but now that both parents have passed away - he has come to the realization that his love of folk art and painting his loved ones -is more than just a hobby. "My dad passed away when i was eleven, but through this painting i was able to get more familiar with my dad than I ever did before, and it's weird through a painting, and through a photograph, it kind of re-introduced that relationship i had lost with my dad, and now it's strong you know, it's been such a long time I forgot that I had a dad but with this painting and this photograph it kind of merged things together. This helps you get through it, you know there's, you know doing these traditional things, people don't need no prescription medication, this is what helped me get through my dad's death." Gonzales has been putting on this art show for three years now in hopes of keeping the tradition alive and remembering in your own way. "That's up to the individual person, to me you know it's just like always talk about them in a good way, you know with my dad it brought a lot of closure, you know he always provided for us I don't know how good I had it. We were always going out to eat, we were always doing something we never shopped at a local thrift store, and all that and even after he passed you know, he still provided. And like doing these portraits they helped, and it's just never forget them you know." Lauren Lanmon - KSAN - San Angelo's news channel. If you would like to go by and see Gonzales' paintings the art will be displayed free of charge Saturday from ten to four and Sunday one to four at the coop gallery across from the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.
