If you look closely at Lennon Hernandez Wolcott’s dollhouse-sized ofrenda, or altar, you’ll see a tiny serving of chips and salsa. The miniature version of her grandfather’s favorite crunchy snack sits on a shelf inside the detailed space to honor his memory – one of many personal details.
Wolcott made her incredibly detailed “Little People House Shrine,” using clay, wax, wood and paper, among other objects. The diminutive piece was on display next to a much larger, equally intricate ofrenda she helped design for New Art Center’s (NAC) Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday, which
included kids’ crafts, food and music.
“Día de los Muertos [or the Day of the Dead] originated in ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico and northern Central America) where indigenous groups, including Aztec, Maya and Toltec, had specific times when they commemorated their loved ones who had passed away,” according to the Smithsonian. It is celebrated on November 1 and 2.
An ofrenda, or altar, was created for the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. According to the nonprofit, an ofrenda “is adorned with many different offerings for the spirits, as a way of welcoming them back to the land of the living.” Students and staff helped create the altar. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
An ofrenda, or altar, was created for the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. According to the nonprofit, an ofrenda “is adorned with many different offerings for the spirits, as a way of welcoming them back to the land of the living.” Students and staff helped create the altar. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
An ofrenda, or altar, was created for the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. According to the nonprofit, an ofrenda “is adorned with many different offerings for the spirits, as a way of welcoming them back to the land of the living.” Students and staff helped create the altar. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Isobel Morrison, 8, worked on a craft activity on Sunday during the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
The New Art Center was decorated with numerous colorful, handmade skulls and skeletons for its Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
The New Art Center was decorated with numerous colorful, handmade skulls and skeletons for its Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
The New Art Center was decorated with numerous colorful, handmade skulls and skeletons for its Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Diyar, 4, had fun drawing a skull on Sunday during the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Emily Olishkevych, 7, worked on a craft activity on Sunday during the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event. To her left is intern Taya Brown and to her right is teacher Marlee Gleiberman. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Lennon Hernandez Wolcott, a guest curator at the New Art Center, created a “Little People House Shrine,” using clay, wax, wood and paper. The shrine was on display during the center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Lennon Hernandez Wolcott, a guest curator at the New Art Center, created a “Little People House Shrine,” using clay, wax, wood and paper. The shrine was on display during the center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Lennon Hernandez Wolcott, a guest curator at the New Art Center, created a “Little People House Shrine,” using clay, wax, wood and paper. The shrine was on display during the center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Lennon Hernandez Wolcott, a guest curator at the New Art Center, taught three workshops and helped create an ofrenda, or altar, for the center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. According the organization, an ofrenda “is adorned with many different offerings for the spirits, as a way of welcoming them back to the land of the living.” (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
From right, Fernando Rosas, owner of East Boston restaurant Bono, holds his daughter Scarlett, 4, and stands next to his daughter Mia, 13, while serving food on Sunday, at the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
An ofrenda, or altar, was created for the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. According to the nonprofit, an ofrenda “is adorned with many different offerings for the spirits, as a way of welcoming them back to the land of the living.” Students and staff helped create the altar. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Members of Los Sugar Kings, from left, Patino Vazquez, Mikael Mersha and Tony Curtis Hall played at the New Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos event on Sunday. (photo: Julie M. Cohen)
Altars are an integral part of the holiday. According to the NAC, an ofrenda “is adorned with many different offerings for the spirits, as a way of welcoming them back to the land of the living.”
Wolcott said the NAC ofrenda’s theme was about the culture of arts and nature. She, her students, and NAC staff designed the nonprofit’s altar using flowers, cut paper, skulls, photos, butterflies and other objects with personal meaning.
“It was a collaborative environment,” said the artist and NAC guest curator. Contributors also adorned the ofrenda with framed photos of local Boston artists, colleagues, and loved ones who had died to honor their memories.
As visitors entered the NAC on the cold and rainy Sunday and passed by the colorful altars, they were welcomed into the space by Los Sugar Kings, a Cuban roots, rock, reggae and R&B group. Visitors who came hungry got to sample Mexican treats including sweet churros and savory tacos from East Boston’s Bono Restaurant and Catering.
While some attendees listened to the music in one room, many parents and kids gathered around multiple craft tables in a nearby studio space. There they created their own altar elements, including tiny clay skulls, luminarias, and frames while learning more about the holiday.
For more information on Lennon Hernandez Wolcott and her artwork, visit lmwh.carbonmade.com.
The New Art Center is located at 61 Washington Park.
