The figure of Sant’Anna in Josh Niccolai-Belfi’s exhibition. Courtesy of Josh Niccolai-Belfi.
The Hughes Family Tribute Center’s 12th annual celebration of Día de los Muertos will open an art exhibit at Crown Hill Memorial Park and Mausoleum on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Pathways of Past Lives: The Persistence of Existence Art Exhibition will include works exploring ancestry, memory, life, death, and rebirth, with a featured central installation by Bishop Arts native Josh Niccolai-Belfi. Surrounding works are also included from area artists for the juried exhibition and student art show that runs concurrently, curated by artist Art Garcia.
Niccolai-Belfi’s piece is a recreation of “Pala di Sant’Anna” by the Italian artist Tiziano Vecellio, who happens to be a direct ancestor of Niccolai-Belfi.
“This is a piece that I’ve studied quite a bit because I’ve been writing on the historic churches of the area of Cadore, which is a historic region there, where my family is, and I visit there every summer. And this piece was presented. It was unveiled for basically the Day of the Dead, Nov. 2, in the year 1530,” he said.
The idea to replicate Vecellio’s piece came about four years ago for Niccolai-Belfi, and he said this upcoming exhibit gave him a good opportunity to do so.
Niccolai-Belfi’s “Pala di Sant’Anna” is approximately 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide, made from an aluminum material used in the aerospace industry.
“It’s like a honeycombed aluminum, so it’s really thin and light, but it’s almost an inch in thickness front to back, and I built a chisel,” he said. “It’s just something that I’ve never seen anybody do. I just happened across this idea when I was repairing some at one point, and so I embossed the aluminum and then went in with enamel and painted the figures, and then it also has gold leaf included as well in the panels.”
Niccolai-Belfi added that he hopes to showcase both the Día de los Muertos traditions with the “more quiet, subdued” All Saints’ Day connected to his Italian heritage.
“My goal is to incorporate a bit of both into it to kind of have a blending of the cultures, and kind of the Italian side is really my access point for this type of celebration,” he said. “But included in it, I’ve commissioned two dancers, Favian Herrera and Fabiola Sanchez, who both have extensive experience in Day of the Dead, being Mexican American themselves, and (musical accompanist) Noe Garcia, also Mexican American, to bring in a bit of the Mexican voice, so that I’m not just an outsider trying to show my interpretation of a celebration.”
Pathways of Past Lives: The Persistence of Existence Art Exhibition will be on display Saturday, October 17 through Monday, Nov. 2. Specific viewing and performance hours are listed below:
Saturday, Oct. 17: Grand Opening
Art on view 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Musical/theatrical performance at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18
Art on view 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24
Art on view 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25
Art on view 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31
Art on view 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1
Art on view 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 2
Art on view 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Día de los Muertos performances begin at 5:30 p.m.
Crown Hill Memorial Park and Mausoleum is located at 9718 Webb Chapel Road.
Correction/Clarification: A previous version of this article stated that Pathways of Past Lives: the Persistence of Existence was curated by Art Garcia. Pathways of Past Lives is Josh Niccolai-Belfi’s installation and exhibition. Art Garcia is curating the juried exhibition and student art show that runs concurrently with Pathways of Past Lives, but it is separate.
