With special Guest Appearance by
Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band

November 1, 2007 at
7:00 PM
DeWitt Hall
Lasell College

PICTURE GALLERY

Spiritus is an interdisciplinary ritual/art event, sponsored by the Graphic Design League (GDL) in collaboration with a number of other individuals, groups and classes throughout the Lasell Community.

October 31st is Halloween, November 1st and 2nd are days that many Christian faiths honor saints and other departed souls, and El Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexican culture is celebrated. These are special days set aside to honor and celebrate the lives of people who have died and whose spirits continue to influence the living. In many (if not most) cultures around the globe there are similar days of remembrance. Our event will be inclusive and respectful of many of these traditions.

• Lasell’s Director of Spiritual Life, Rev. Barbara Asinger, will be hosting Spiritus. Rev. Asinger will also be contributing her knowledge, resources and counsel as we develop this event.
• 17 students from the GDL will be painting portraits to honor the people in their lives and who have passed away. These portraits will be incorporated into a shrine/display.
• The same GDL members will be creating masks with decoration based on imagery that relate to the cultural heritage of the people in their portraits.
• A drumming choir will be performing who will wear the masks created by GDL members.
• Prof. Peter Watson's Interior Display class is designing the shrine/display that will contain the portraits.
• Students from Prof. Hortense Gerardo’s Anthropology and Folk Lore classes will be posting personal reflections and contributing research on the ways that death rituals are conducted in their own families and in different cultures.
• Prof. Hortense Gerardo is including Spiritus in the curriculum for her acting students and in her activities with the Lasell Players. This research from her Anthropology and Folk Lore classes will serve as a basis for the original performances presented at Spiritus.
• Prof. Tore Terrasi is heading a team of GDL members who will be contributing visual effects.
We are exploring ways for everyone who attends Spiritus to be involved in paying tribute to their own dearly departed. Contact us if you would like to get involved.

sfischer@lasell.edu