week 5 ofelia esparza

For week five we had the honor to meet Ofelia Esparza who is actually one of our fellow peers' relatives. Ofelia is a Chicana artist born in East Los Angeles. She is a true inspiration because she is eighty-eight years old and she is still creating projects, creating art, activism, and inspiring people such as myself.  Ofelia still lives in the same neighborhood where she grew up in that is incredible, again she is a true phenomenon. Ofelia Esparza is best known for her Alters, which are artworks that honor and represent the past ancestors.

Esparzas past is very unique. Her altars represent that past. For example, she recently did a huge altar in the city of Los Angeles. In the altar, she not only represents herself and her family but the entire city of Los Angeles it is truly something amazing. Esparza has been involved in many unique projects throughout her years. However, in recent years she has been involved with the movie Coco, which is a Disney movie about dia de Los Muertos. She was a cultural consultant for the movie and some of her advice was shown in the movie such as the orange flowery bridge. Her family also works on projects with her, she is very lucky because she gets to continue her family tradition which is being passed down to her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. A great example is the altars her daughters and sons have helped built them in the past a true family tradition that she has thought to many people.