FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2008
Contact: Terry Castillo, 909-397-9716

Quema del Diablo
“Burning of the Devil” Art, Music, & Procession
Exhibit Dates: December 13th through December 20th
Opening Reception: December 13, 6pm to 10pm
Procession begins at 8pm in front of the dA Gallery
Exhibition Location: The dA Center for the Arts, 252 S Main St., Pomona Arts Colony, CA 91766
http://dacenter.org/
http://www.pomonaartwalk.com/

This December, The dA is honoring a Guatemalan Catholic tradition, “Quema del Diablo,” Burning of the Devil. The ritual of this celebration is little known outside of Guatemala, and people who have witnessed it won’t soon forget it.
Popular tradition holds that throughout the year, the devil lurks in the corners and dark places of a house, weaseling his way into old papers, unused household goods, bringing bad luck to the home. So every December, Guatemalans clean house and gather up discarded boxes, old newspapers, dust from underneath the beds, and build a highly-combustible mound in front of their homes. At 6pm on December 7, the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the mounds are set on fire. Onto the fire usually goes a paper-maché devil piñata (stuffed with fireworks) to symbolize purging evil from the home, in preparation for a new year full of blessings. Locals say, if you came into Guatemala that night, you would think the whole country is burning.

Rolo Castillo, curator at the dA Center for the Arts, heard of this holiday several years ago and felt it was an artist’s answer to the forced jolliness of the holiday season. The unconventional nature of an artist’s lifestyle can put them at odds with family members and loved ones at this time of year. Celebrating Quema del Diablo with an art show offers a way for artists to express themselves and use the symbolic act of purification to let go of past demons and prepare for new inspiration to settle in.

This year the dA will host two mask making workshops open to the public, in preparation for a procession that will take place during the December 13th Artwalk in the Pomona Arts Colony. Savoie Hair, a high end hair design salon located around the block from the dA Gallery, will be sending a few models over to spice up the evening’s festivities. The dA assures the opening reception will be an evening full of humor and surprises.


Image by: Franz Keller
Free Procession & Mask Making Workshop:
Thursday, Dec. 4 & 11, 7pm to 10pm
Winter Solstice Concert, Saturday, Dec. 20th 7pm

By Artist: Dee Marcellus Cole

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