Calling All Saints and Sinners: Hotel Matilda Celebrates Day of
the Dead with ‘White & Black Dinners’ by Martha Ortiz
Dining Extravaganzas Will Be Spiced with a ‘Dead Art’ Exhibit
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – October 14, 2013: The Day of the Dead will come alive at Hotel Matilda (www.hotelmatilda.com) when Mexico’s queen of culinary theater creates dramatic “White & Black Dinners” reflecting the dichotomy of the country’s most emotional and festive national holiday.
The White & Black Dinners celebrate the saints and sinners of every Mexican family.The Day of the Dead, or El Día de los Muertos, is held annually on November 1 and 2. But November 1is also All Saint’s Day, which celebrates those who have gone to heaven, while November 2is All Soul’s Day when those paying for their sins in purgatory are remembered. The two aspects of the national holiday will come together at Hotel Matilda with a White Dinner onNov. 1, 2013 and a Black Dinner on Nov. 2, 2013.
And to complete The Day of the Dead celebrations at Hotel Matilda, the dinners will be spiced with a ‘Dead Art’ exhibit presented by Ricardo Reyes Arte (www.ricardoreyesarte.com), a leading Mexico City gallery. Featuring works by 14 top artists, the exhibit will open November 1 and be on display for the entire month.
“The White and Black Dinners will be one-of-a-kind events filled with the masterful creativity of Martha Ortiz, the eclectic and innovative spirit of Hotel Matilda, and the joy, revelry and emotion of The Day of the Dead,” said Hotel Matilda Director Bruce James.
The White Dinner will be held at Jardines de Matilda, Hotel Matilda’s special event villa, onFriday, Nov. 1; seating is limited to 60 people. The Black Dinner will be at the hotel’s Moxi restaurant on Saturday, Nov. 2, with seating for 100 guests. For more information and to make reservations: eventos@hotelmatilda.com.
The dinners will be a highlight of the many The Day of the Dead celebrations in San Miguel de Allende, notably the dynamic La Calaca Festival (http://lacalacafestival.org). A free, participatory art and culture festival, La Calaca is a four-day event, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, that honors, promotes and explores the traditions and themes of El Día de los Muertos.
Chef Ortiz is recognized for resurrecting historic Mexican culinary traditions and reinvigorating them with modern twists and her personal creativity. The menus for her White and Black Dinners will reflect and enliven the historic traditions of El Día de los Muertos. She will set the scene with white and black tablecloths, numerous candles, music and special touches that evoke the themes of The Day of the Dead.
The Dead Art exhibit will include works by the following artists:
- Dulce Pinzón, a native of Mexico City who has been honored with many awards, has been exhibited, published and collected all over the world.
- Rigel Herrera, from Guadalajara, has had eight solo shows and been part of 70 collective shows in Mexico, Italy, Spain, USA, England and Ireland.
- Víctor Hugo Reyes, from Mexico City, has exhibited works in both solo and collective shows in Costa Rica, Spain, Germany, USA, Hong-Kong, France, Denmark, England and Mexico.
- Anne Karin Furunnes, a native of Norway who exhibits her art in many countries.
- Gustavo Villegas, a winner of many art competitions who has had expositions worldwide.
- Víctor Rodríguez, a native of Mexico who creates his award-winning pieces in Brooklyn, New York.
- Fabian Ugalde, a native of Querétaro whose paintngs have been shown in Mexico, Europe, Asia and South America.
- Omar Torres, a native of Mexico City, has exhibited his works throughout Mexico as well as in Japan and Switzerland.
- Susan Schmidt, a native of New Jersey who is based in Mexico City and has exhibited widely in the U.S. and Mexico
- Ricardo Villasana, a painter and photographer from Mexico City who has had 20 solo and 51 collective exhibits.
- Damien Hirst, the acclaimed British artist, has a home in Mexico and creates and exhibits here.
- Nora Adame, a plastic artist who creates pieces from recycled and discarded materials..
- Luis Fernando Salazar, a photographic artist whose work ranges from churches to underwater photography.
- Patricia Martin, a Mexico City-born artist, art curator and promoter of contemporary art.
Martha Ortiz is a Mexican culinary star who celebrates her country’s gastronomy as “a total experience of the senses” that imbues the people with identity. She has achieved success as a writer and impresario as well as in the kitchen: She has a highly acclaimed restaurant in Mexico City, Dulce Patria; has penned eight cookbooks on Mexican regional cuisine; has distinguished herself as a food writer and a leading chronicler of her country’s gastronomic history and traditions; and has made her mark producing and promoting culinary events and projects worldwide, including a number of culinary festivals.
El Día de los Muertos is a colorful and festive holiday with roots going back millennia that celebrates the Mexican people’s strong sense of love and respect for their ancestors. Loved ones, who are said to come back to visit on The Day of the Dead, are remembered and honored in numerous ways – from creating altars for them adorned with candles and photos, to special foods and colorful art work, to decorating gravesites with flowers and candles, to picnicking at the cemetery on the favorite foods of their loved ones.
Hotel Matilda is a trend-setting contemporary boutique hotel offering a lifestyle-focused guest experience and a full calendar of artistic and culinary events. The art-gallery-like ambience, filled with an eclectic collection of works by contemporary artists, is the ideal canvas for the many events the hotel hosts annually, including exhibits by noted artists that are often paired with a gourmet dinner and such special events as the SMART art festival combining art exhibits, dining events, DJ dance party, tequila tastings and more. Enrique Olvera, who is recognized as Mexico’s leading chef as well as one of the best in the world, is a partner with the hotel operating its Moxi Restaurant. Chef Olvera’s Mexico City restaurant, Pujol, is #17 on the coveted San Pellegrino list of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.’ The award-winning holistic spa was named to Condé Nast Traveler’s 2011 Hot List of the world’s top new spas. The lounge, Bar Matilda, is known for its popular scene and creative mixology.
Hotel Matilda is located in the heart of 500-year-old San Miguel de Allende, the crown jewel of Colonial Mexico and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more information and reservations: +52 (415) 152-1015; toll free in the U.S./Canada 855-MATILDA (855-628-4532); info@hotelmatilda.com.
Media Contact:
Marian Gerlich / Ed Placidi
P&G Communications
Los Angeles
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