The Nelson Atkins Museum celebrated Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with their annual exhibit. Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican holiday that celebrates the memory of loved ones who have passed and is usually observed on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.
The College Spanish IV and College Spanish V classes go on a field trip to observe the exhibit annually.
“I’ve been doing this for 27 years,” College Spanish teacher Anna Maki-Birchler said. “It’s so important for students to connect with their community, and art is an incredible way and a springboard to culture and language and expression without a right or wrong answer. It’s just language; there’s no right or wrong. I just love getting them in the community and connecting them with their community.”
The exhibit included Mexican art and culture.
“I really loved looking at the ofrenda because I got to write my own farewell cards for my family members that have passed away, so being able to add that for everyone to see was a really good feeling, and I feel like I honored them,” senior Obi Obiesie said.
After the exhibit, the students go on a scavenger hunt in Spanish around the Plaza.
“Spanish IVhas been learning about describing paintings, and Spanish V kind of tags along to help them out,” senior Laney Fischer said. “Then, we went to the Plaza to do a scavenger hunt to look at the relationship between the architecture at the museum and the plaza, and the relationship between the architecture and Kansas City’s.”
The trip consisted of two buses of students, drawing quite a crowd. For these students, it’s a way to interact with the culture.
“I take Spanish because I love it, and I think it’s so fun,” freshman Kate Anderson said. “I love the culture and knowing the language. I love the teacher, Ms. Maki-Birchler, and I want to get my Seal of Biliteracy and have those opportunities in the future. We looked at the Dia de los Muertos exhibit. There were lots of Spanish culture things. There weren’t really ofrendas (offerings), but there were sugar skulls and everything. It was really fun and interactive; they had paper where you could write things on and say what you’re thankful for.”
Along with the excitement of the field trip, Spanish impacted students both in and out of the classroom.
“I think it’s really fun that I would be able to communicate with different kinds of people, and Profe has really inspired me to keep learning because she makes it so easy but also makes me love learning new things and I feel like it’ll be useful in the world,” Fischer said.
Even though there is not easy access to travel to Spanish-speaking countries, there are benefits to staying local.
“It’s like traveling to Europe, really,” Maki-Birchler said. “I can’t take them all to Europe, but I can take them all to their own city. Seeing the museum, looking at the history of the museum and the art, and also the Plaza is important because this is their own city. I just love connecting them with the Spanish-speaking world in their own city. That would be the bottom line right there.”
