Roots of Disney-Pixar's Animation "Coco" Revealed in Exhibition of Works by Famed Mexican Day of the Dead Artist Jose Guadalupe Posada Now Open at the Catalina Island Museum

    LONG BEACH, CA, February 08, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The art of famed Mexican Day of the Dead Artist Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), on loan from the Posada Art Foundation, is featured in an exhibition currently running at the Catalina Island Museum https://www.catalinamuseum.org/exhibitions. Posada is considered by many to be the most important printmaker of Mexico, sometimes called the godfather of Mexican printmaking. He is credited, along with artist Manuel Manilla (1830-1895) for popularizing the calavera or skeletal images, common symbols of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday. Dozens of images are display, including many of the beloved calaveras along with selected original printing plates.

Posada's thousands of illustrations captured the pulse of Mexican daily life and to a large extent helped form the imagery associated Mexican identity that carries through even to this day. More than one hundred years after his death, the Disney-Pixar animation "Coco", nominated for an Academy Award this year, reflects Posada's genius throughout. Disney's EPCOT Center has even included his images in a long term exhibition.

Searching for Posada: ART and Revolutions, a documentary produced by the Posada Art Foundation and EraVision Films, is scheduled to screen February 10, 2018 Tickets may be purchased via https://www.catalinamuseum.org/calendar. The screening represents the premiere at a museum in Southern California.

Posada's story is shrouded in myth. His name little known, yet his art has shaped and influenced the work of a nearly endless list of artists including: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Jose Clemente Orozco, Leopoldo Mendez, Enrique Chagoya, Francisco Toledo and Ester Hernandez. The 40-minute documentary explores the untold story, attempting to discover the truth about Jose Guadalupe Posada's life. Shot on location in Mexico from director Victor H. Mancilla (201 Squadron: The Forgotten Eagles, awarded 2009 Smithsonian Institution Best Historical Documentary), ART and Revolutions winner of Best Short Documentary Film at the Jerome Indy 89A Film and Music Festival in September, 2015.

About The Posada Art Foundation (www.posada-art-foundation.com)
The Posada Art Foundation mission is to educate, inspire and sustain the legacy of Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). Managing a collection exceeding 2,500 works, the Foundation, through the presence of its exhibitions, merchandise and licensing sales supports a variety of not-for-profit organizations projects in the visual arts and education that assist multi-cultural youth development, including emerging artists, as well as organizations involved in education and research in social movements.

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