What is Day for Descendants?

Day for Descendants Altars and Ceremonies is an open source, collaborative altar celebration. The celebration has simple intent—to bring awareness of descendants into our daily life, and decision making.

Why?
“Future generations” gives me a hazy, not-very-useful impression. I can’t look distant descendants in the eye, have a conversation, and become emotionally engaged the same way I can with my peers today. Nor can I look at pictures and learn details of distant descendants from my relatives such as I do with my ancestors.

I am finding that I feel more appropriately connected with descendants as I spend time envisioning them and their possible circumstances. Spending time with descendants in this way is new to me, and is emerging from my experiences making Day of the Dead altars for many years now. As I ‘sit’ with the idea of descendants, I develop various thoughts about their circumstances, and I have been able to start evolving hopes and commitments to them–maybe as a part of my legacy. I find it a slow, interesting journey!

Because I have found this worthwhile, I offer the descendant altars–both an annual celebration and daily awareness–as part of my Flat Black Gallery show.

Yellow and Black Sun
Like Tai Chi’s (Yin Yang) white and black, I find that–representing a duality–yellow and black are for me a useful way to view descendants. My feelings may have ebbs and flows, and contradictions. Embracing this may seems beneficial.

Black is an absence of color. It represents to me many things relative to Day for Descendants–such as darkness, death, seriousness, and strength. Yellow is a prominent, optimistic color and inherent in many lifegiving elements–the sun, the color green and nature, and food. Yin and Yang.

I think acknowledging various possible ‘future outcomes’ is important. And outcomes may evolve in time. I’m optimistic (yellow) and acknowledge challenges (black) and the need to engage them.

Building Upon: An Experiment
Many of us contribute to the knowledge and education about threats to the well being of descendants. Such knowledge and expression is vital. Indeed, my Denial Series of paintings is one way I communicate my own concerns–my small addition to the dialogues.

I’ve felt a gap between my intention and my action. To connect them, I’m committing my Flat Black Gallery show to share my practice–Day for Descendants Altars and Ceremonies–hopefully providing anyone interested with a missing bridge to help us bring our intentions to our everyday actions.

“Of all the dangers we face, from climate chaos to nuclear war, none is so great as the deadening of our response.” –Joanna Macy

The Altar Day, and Daily Awareness
April 9, 02022 is the inaugural Day for Descendants Altars and Ceremonies celebration. This is a collaborative celebration and you are invited to participate. Come to Flat Black Gallery and leave something on our altar. Watch on our social media (forthcoming links) and contribute from where you are. Or, create your own altar and ceremony. How, you might ask? Some information about altars and ceremonies is below and at Pario.org. If you attend the show opening reception, I’m giving simple altar cards to attendees.

For You
Now that I’ve explained some of my intentions with Day for Descendants Altars and Ceremonies, feel free to make it (and remake it) all your own. (Open collaboration! Please credit Mark Smith/ Pario Art.) Have your own ceremony on April 9th (or thereabouts). Please share it! Or share your views and comments. See @DayforDescendants on Instagram. And please pass us along to somebody you think might be interested. –Thank you

Mark Smith, 313 ppm
@DayforDescenants IG
@_pario IG
Pario.org