As the Norteña music played in The Old Town Marketplace and community members mingled during Día de los Muertos, there was an understanding that there are many ways to lose someone. Whether through death or the impact of ICE and detention centers, everyone was given the opportunity to remember someone who was not there during the exhibition of Mariposas de la Memoria.
The exhibition by Joyanna Rose Gittings, owner of Obra Arts, commissioned by Tomás Perez, is a permanent installation of papier-mâché butterflies that fly along the ceiling of the marketplace, along with smaller butterflies that direct viewers to a database of memorialized family members and friends through QR codes. People can buy these smaller butterflies to fundraise for El Comité de Longmont, which supports by helping community members access resources and legal counsel.
With food supplied by Abuelita’s Empanadas, Josie’s Tacos, and Colorado Dumplings, many were dressed in festive costumes and browsed the small businesses that call The Old Town Marketplace home. The night was filled with education and insight while Gittings described her artistic process and Lisa Moreno, Executive Director of El Comité de Longmont, detailed the history of her organization and the work they have done this year to empower the community.
Gittings has been in the Old Town Marketplace since 2018 and detailed the arduous process of planning and executing the project…