by Sarah Liss

"In making this altar, I want to honor and pay tribute to the cultures that taught me how to process grief in this way. Dia de Los Muertos is a holiday rooted in Aztec tradition combined with the influence of the Catholic church due to colonization. Growing up in Los Angeles, CA, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to many cultures that were not of my own background. Because of this, I learned how other communities processed grief. After seeing the altars for Dia de Los Muertos on Olvera Street, I felt more inspired and connected to this way of processing grief than anything else I had seen. After the loss of my first pet, I started making altars to honor them and the love we had together. 
 

Chawney was my second dog and an incredible being, to say the least. With Chawney’s altar, I placed it in an inconspicuous area. Typically, I would have an altar be more of a focal point in my home, but for his altar, I wanted it to be where I put my keys. Chawney was always the first to greet me at the door and the last I would say goodbye to. Having his altar where I place my keys is representative and allows for the reenactment of our routine. His altar consists of a painting I made called, I Wish You Were Still Here. On the left side is the bandana he wore when I first saw him at the Pasadena Humane Society. Next to the bandana is a monarch butterfly ornament. He passed away during the time of year when monarch butterflies were flying all around us. When I would come across one, I believed it was him. Unbeknownst to me, the monarch butterfly is also significant for Dia de Los Muertos. Traditionally, these butterflies are believed to hold the spirits of those who passed on. On the right side of the painting is a woven boat with two figures. These represent my partner and I, and how much we love Chawney. We are all (including Chawney) so grateful that we got to be a part of each other’s journey in this life. Next to this are two ceramic wilting flowers. These represent how Chawney and I feel about being apart from each other. We are sad and hope one day to be reunited. "