'Festival de los Muertos' is Nov. 2-5

            On Nov. 2-5 Lincoln City Libraries, Sheldon Museum of Art, and the Lied Center for Performing Arts will celebrate Dia de los Muertos and "Dream Carver," the award-winning children's book by Diana Cohn that tells the story of a young boy named Mateo growing up in Oaxaca, Mexico, who carves his dreams into wooden toys that come to life.

            The celebration, called Festival de los Muertos, will kick off with a free family workshop at Bennett Martin Public Library, 136 S. 14th St., on Nov. 2 and ends on Nov. 5 with a main stage performance at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St., of "Dream Carver," a magical bilingual musical featuring Swazzle's Broadway-trained puppeteers.

            On Nov. 3, the Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th and R streets, will host its seventh annual Dia de los Muertos celebration as a highlight of the festival on Sunday.

            The festival schedule:

            Saturday, Nov. 2, 10:30 a.m.-noon -- Children's workshop with Amy Cordova, Bennett Martin Public Library. Join Cordova, who illustrated "Dream Carver," for this mini-workshop in which children create their own dream animal (like those in "Dream Carver") using the colors and patterns of traditional Oaxacan artists. Cordova will guide the participants by encouraging them to think about their dreams and any obstacles they may meet along the way to fulfilling them. This workshop is geared for children elementary school age and older and is free and open to the public. All materials will be provided. Call 402-441-8565 if you plan to bring a group of 10 or more children, or for more information.

            Sunday, Nov. 3, noon-4 p.m. -- The Sheldon celebrates Dia de los Muertos. Entertainment for the afternoon includes music, a play performed by students from the Lincoln High School Theatre Department and folkloric dance. Additionally, there will be a community ofrenda, art-making stations, and traditional foods. The event is free and open to the public. Cordova will have a table at Sheldon signing copies of "Dream Carver," which will also be for sale in the museum's store.

            Monday, Nov. 4, 4:30-7:30 p.m. -- Teachers workshop with Cordova at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (hosted by the Lied Center). Cordova will lead a hands-on teacher workshop that explores the concept of developing personal dream animal. Using repetitive patterns of choice, teachers will draw, transfer and paint a reverse glass image of a dream animal (an animal that relates to current life experience), using bright Oaxacan colors and images from Mexican culture. The workshop will be in Room 32, Henzlik Hall, east of 14th and Vine streets on the UNL campus at a fee of $20. To reserve a space in the workshop, contact Nancy Engen-Wedin at 402-472-4707 or by email.

            Tuesday, Nov. 5, FamFest at 5:30 p.m., performance of Swazzle's "Dream Carver" at 7 p.m, Lied Center -- FamFest, a free, bi-annual event supported by Runza National, Pepsi-Cola of Lincoln and The Cookie Co., will begin 90 minutes prior to showtime. FamFest is a family-friendly pre-show party featuring food and hands-on activities such as face painting and games. Performers from Swazzle's Dream Carver will also be in attendance to lead a puppet-making activity. Cordova will be on hand to sign books and lead educational activities.

            The story of "Dream Carver" introduces audiences to elements of Mexican culture, such as the traditional folk art of Oaxacan carving small wooden animals called juguetes. Swazzle brings Mateo's whimsical, brightly colored juguetes to life through masterful puppetry in this 55-minute bilingual performance that inspires students to think creatively, try new things and follow their dreams.

            Cordova lives and works in Santa Fe, N.M., where she is an artist, author, educator and award-winning illustrator of children's books. Cordova is also an experienced arts educator and has designed culturally specific curriculum related to the pedagogy of "place." She conducts hands-on artist residencies and lectures throughout the United States, leading explorations into "self" that engage both children and adults.

            Tickets for Swazzle's "Dream Carver" are available at http://www.liedcenter.org, at the Lied Center Box Office or by phone at 402-472-4747. Adult tickets are $16, student tickets $8. Swazzle's "Dream Carver" is presented thanks to the generous support of Dr. Phillip Engen, Runza National, Pepsi-Cola of Lincoln and The Cookie Co.

Writer: Carrie Christensen