Jose Montoya's Resonant Valley reopens at Arte Americas for Dia de Los Muertos

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Day of the Dead, or Dia de Los Muertos, is approaching quickly.

Arte Americas in downtown Fresno is opening an exhibit dedicated to Dia de Los Muertos.

It's celebrated differently among the Hispanic Community.

"This is a way to celebrate life. Yes, it's about death, but at the same time, honoring our ancestors and relatives in a very special way," said artist Sal Garcia.

This year, they're showcasing the holiday from a unique perspective.

"We are celebrating Dia the Muertos from the Chicano perspective, and so we invited several Chicano artists as well as folks who knew Jose Montoya personally," said Arianna Paz Chavez, the executive director of Arte Americas.

You'll notice many of the "ofrendas" are connected to the exhibit that's been there for several weeks.

"It's 'Jose Montoya's Resonant Valley' with ofrenadas that are expanding on some of the ideas that the curators worked so hard to communicate about Jose Montoya's life," said Paz Chavez.

"This is Jose Montoya, leader of Royal Chicano Air Force, Eva Garcia, Estevan Villa, and Ricardo Favela," Garcia said.

Garcia knew Montoya and says it's been an honor to work on this ofrenda.

Every detail is carefully thought out.

"He was an artist, activist, poet, writer, teacher, musician, all those aspects, I had to include into this, and it's a way of honoring him in a very personal way," said Garcia.

Garcia encourages the community to stop by and soak in what Arte Americas offers in the Central Valley.

"This is one of the best presentations I have ever seen, so I think people from the Valley and Fresno should be very proud of Arte Americas," Garcia explained.

The exhibit will run until November 26.

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