Ofelia and Rosanna Esparza: Film Screening and Artist Q&A

Join us for a special event featuring the screening of the latest film in Getty's Artist Dialogues series, "Ofelia and Rosanna Esparza: Made to Remember," showcasing the multigenerational art practice of Ofelia Esparza and her daughter, Rosanna Esparza Ahrens. Renowned for their contributions to the Día de los Muertos traditions in Los Angeles, the Esparzas create ofrendas (altars) that intertwine memory, customs, and community. The short film (11:55 min) reflects on the ofrenda as both a cultural obligation and an artistic bridge connecting the living to the dead and linking past generations with the future.

Ofelia, born in 1932 in East Los Angeles, learned the art of making ofrendas from her mother, infusing her works with handmade paper flowers, textiles, photographs, and narratives that honor ancestors. Rosanna continues this legacy by highlighting the importance of the creative process itself—storytelling, gathering, and shared labor—making the act of creation as significant as the altar produced. The film emphasizes the ephemerality of their art and the role of intergenerational continuity in its preservation, rethinking conservation in the context of community and storytelling.

After the screening, Ofelia and Rosanna will engage in a conversation with Laleña Vellanoweth, Los Angeles County's Civic Art Conservation and Collections Manager, followed by an audience Q&A. Tickets are free but required for entry, with options for in-person or online attendance available at gty.art/4wXDjQD. In-person attendees can enjoy a reception afterward, and parking validation will be provided. This event is part of the Getty Conservation Institute's Art in L.A. project and was conceived in collaboration with independent curator jill moniz.