Mask sculpture courtesy of Cal Duran.
Clay Sculpting: Día de los Muertos
In this class, students will use clay sculpting as a method to (re)connect with the earth. Focus will be on the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), with time for exploring one’s own ancestral relationship to cultural holidays. Students will bring their imagination and voice to the medium of clay while learning sculptural techniques.
What to Expect: This workshop will begin with gallery visits to view objects in the museum’s collections on display. Following this, students will research, sketch, and plan their vision for a Día de los Muertos sculpture and build a paper armature. The remaining time will be spent on working with clay, sculpting, and finally painting.
Creative Classes are taught in a studio art environment and offer an opportunity to learn from professional creatives through traditional and experimental approaches. Each class is uniquely designed by a creative educator for an adult audience, designed to help you learn a new skill or expand your own creative practice. Explore the Summer/Fall 2025 class schedule.
About the Educator
Cal Duran is an artist and art educator focusing on connecting with his ancestors from an Indigenous and Latinx background. His work often explores parallels between hybrid identities found in myth, religion, and ritual. Duran has shown altars, installations and artwork in museums and galleries throughout the Denver Metro area and beyond. He continues to honor his ancestors and recently created a room at Meow Wolf in Denver, honoring the indigenous tribes of Colorado and the Americas.
