SOMArts Cultural Center's annual Día de los Muertos exhibition, now in its 27th year, is open in SoMa through Nov. 20. This year's show, In Their Name, honors mothers and mother figures.
The theme
SOMArts says the exhibition honors "those who mother as an act of care and revolution," from house and drag mothers to birth and chosen families. In keeping with the tradition, it also includes personal altars for loved ones who have died. The show is dedicated to artist Tosha Stimage.
Co-curator Rio Yañez told Mission Local the theme responds to "the cultural reckoning we're having with our societal treatment of women." He said visitors will see "everything from very traditional altars to art installations that function as altars," including one collective's recreation of a city street corner with a wall of street art, and another's back-porch patio.
A family legacy
The SOMArts show was founded by the late San Francisco artist and curator René Yañez, Rio's father, who also co-founded Galería de la Raza in the Mission. Mission Local reports Rio began working with his father on the show in 2005. After René's death in 2018, Rio brought in new co-curators, most recently Bridgétt Rex.
If you go
Entry during gallery hours is free and open to all ages, SOMArts says. A closing drag show is set for Friday, Nov. 20. For the Mission's Nov. 2 procession and other events, see our Día de los Muertos guide.