THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 26, 1994 TAG: 9410250107
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARLENE FORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Team Matisse is doing its decorating with fresh flowers and skeletons. Team Elvis and Team Picasso are busy, too, coming up with their own bizarre decorating combinations.
In all, seven groups of artists are preparing for the ``Dia de Muertos - Day of the Dead'' gala at the Arts Center by building monumental ``altars'' to artists - dead artists.
``Matisse? The joy-of-life artist and Day-of-the-Dead decor? How could we do it?,'' artist Cindy Moneta asked. ``Well, we did. OK?''
She and creative cohort, Stef Runyon, lounged on the colorful, paper-cut centerpiece of their Matisse inspired ``altar.'' Still in progress, it's a 15-foot wood frame with grinning plastic skeletons, 3-D characters, candles, fresh flowers and more.
This and the others will be used as decorations for the Art Center fall party at 9 p.m. Saturday. Mariachi music, Flamenco folk dancers, Mexican and Southwestern cuisine and the original, ``quasi-authentic'' decorations by local artists are all part of the fiesta. And, since the party is appropriately near Halloween, guests are invited to join in the spirit and come costumed as either their favorite artist (preferably a dead one) or in south-of-the-border garb or as any outrageous creature.
The fund-raiser, which helps support the organization's exhibitions and educational programs, is loosely based on an ancient Mexican celebration. For one day a year families welcome their deceased ancestors back to earth with favorite foods and fun.
``At first we didn't think we could do Matisse,'' Moneta said. ``So much color and life. But the more we got into it and studied the actual celebration, we saw how festive we could be.'' Matisse's ``Christmas Eve, 1952,'' inspired the back portion of the altar and a decidedly boney ``Lady in Blue, 1937'' is the basis for one of the 3-D characters.
In keeping with the paradoxical mood of the actual observance, joyful and macabre, the 7-by-15-foot Matisse altar also includes the costumed, live artistic team.
Moneta is chairman of the fine arts department at Ocean Lakes High School. Also in the department at the school are creators Runyon, David Prescott and Rob O'Leary. Sharon Clohessy, also on the Matisse team, teaches art at Glenwood Elementary School.
Other team leaders and their dead visual or performing artists are: Julia Bell, Chagall; Kim Painter, Elvis; Darrell Long, Michaelangelo; Joy Ingram and Lynne Sward, Frida Cahlo; Bunny Cutler, Picasso; Gene Schull, Dali; and Robin and Sean Brickell, the Top 40 dead. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARLENE FORD
Stef Runyon and Cindy Moneta and ``friend'' lounge on the
centerpiece of their Matisse-inspired ``altar.'' by CNB