Artist moves Day of the Dead festival to new venue after city funding cuts

Jose Mendez, an artist based in Lake Worth Beach, is relocating his annual Day of the Dead festival to The Peach in West Palm Beach. The event, originally planned as a 10-year milestone in Lake Worth Beach, was canceled by the city's Community Redevelopment Agency following reduced state grants. Mendez, who co-founded the festival in 2016, secured a new location to ensure the tradition continues.

The change in venue comes with a smaller scale and a tighter budget. Mendez, currently an artist in residence with the No More Starving Artists Foundation, asked the organization for support to host the event at The Peach, a studio space in West Palm Beach. Both the foundation and The Peach agreed to host the gathering, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, as part of the monthly Art Walk.

Mendez has dedicated the past decade to researching and sharing the holiday's traditions. Born in San Miguel Acatán, Guatemala, he grew up with Mayan indigenous heritage. His family maintained cultural practices after moving to the United States when he was an infant. These practices included honoring ancestors with bread, honey, cacao, pumpkin squash, and tortillas. Mendez began his deeper research after attending a Day of the Dead parade in Fort Lauderdale in 2012.

Since then, he has traveled to cities including Los Angeles, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Sumpango, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York City, and Seattle. He has shared his findings in classrooms at Palm Beach State College and the School District of Palm Beach County. His art also reflects these traditions, aiming to connect local communities with indigenous roots.

The festival will feature outdoor art installations, including a mural, a large heart sculpture, and a five-foot alebrije. It will also include colorful ofrendas, which are altars honoring the dead. An art battle will take place where 10 artists compete for a $500 prize. The No More Starving Artists Foundation is raising funds for the event, with $250 collected out of a $4,000 goal as of mid-October.

Attendance for the previous year's event in Lake Worth Beach declined as Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased arrests in Palm Beach County. The city is half Hispanic or Latino, and Mendez noted the confusion among residents regarding law enforcement interactions. He stated that his father, who died in September, taught him to act without fear, a principle from Maya culture and Christianity.

This year marks the first celebration Mendez will hold without his father. He is creating a specific ofrenda in his honor, incorporating a memory of his father replaying VHS tapes of Mayan documentaries in the 1990s. Mendez intends to return the festival to Lake Worth Beach next year, potentially on a larger scale. He cited local organizations that want to help but face constraints related to Amendment 3, a ballot measure that would eliminate non-school property taxes in Florida if passed on November 3.

Mendez believes the decrease in tax revenue would impact arts and culture funding. He plans to vote no on the measure. Despite the uncertainty, he is committed to keeping the celebration active in Palm Beach County.