New CityTV Episode of "Wave" Explores Mortality

December 11, 2018 10:19 AM
by Madeleine Gallagher

Losing a pet or loved one is difficult. Often as we enter the holiday seasons we reflect on those who have passed.

As adults how do we cope in the wake of tragedy? How do we teach our children about mortality? “Memento Mori,” the latest episode of “Wave” from CityTV, explores how Santa Monica residents and artists use creative outlets, celebration and humor to prepare us for death and manage grief.

Every fall the Santa Monica community explodes in celebration, color, and the life-affirming joy of the annual Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Artist and educator Martha Ramirez-Oropeza gives us a brief history and explains the contemporary practice of this important Mexican tradition through a visual tour of the festivities of Edison Language Academy and Woodlawn Cemetery.

Residents Ken and Katrina Carlson share with us their fun Halloween extravaganza. It’s a rare opportunity to get a sneak peek into the creative process of creating their “must see” elaborate outdoor spooky tableaus.

Culinary Historian and storyteller Edythe Preet shares with us the history of Halloween and how it transformed from the Celts’ Samhain ritual of protection from the wondering earthbound underworld into a light hearted American tradition.

Annenberg Beach House Writer-in-Residence Catherine Coan’s work uses dark humor, literary traditions and birds to approach the serious topic of depression with her complex miniature birdcage tableaus, known as the “Canary Suicides”. She talks about how she constructs identities for her animal subjects using miniatures, much like a dollhouse, in domestic environment. The work provides viewers the opportunity to act as detectives to investigate the “scene of the crime”, such as Clue’s Colonel Canary doing himself in with a candlestick in the study. The reason - his unrequited love of Mrs. Peacock, who is out of his league.

See every episode of "wave", Santa Monica CityTV’s series about arts and culture, on the City of Santa Monica's YouTube channel.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Line at 800-273-8255.

Authored By

Madeleine Gallagher
Production Coordinator