Zimmerli Art Museum says farewell to February with 'Último Domingo' event

On Sunday, the Zimmerli Art Museum on the College Avenue campus held its "Último Domingo." It was a joy-filled celebration of Latino culture and served as a way to promote the coming together of different communities.

The event, the first of a new series debuting this year, featured art, music, food and performances. 

During the first half, visitors were taken through the "George Segal: Themes and Variations" exhibit, which debuted earlier this year.  

The tours were bilingual, conducted in both English and Spanish, and the exhibits also included text on the walls with descriptions in English and Spanish.

The guide also did a wonderful job of emphasizing interactivity, encouraging attendees to debate and guess the meaning of individual pieces, promoting a healthy dialogue. 

Another standout installation from the tour was titled "The Pregnancy Series: Seven Stages," which consisted of seven plaster castings depicting the stages of pregnancy.

While the tour was taking place, the art workshop was also open for guests to make Carnival masks. Plastic masks were provided along with accessories like feathers, gemstones and glitter glue to be used as decorations. This activity attracted families and served as a way to begin introducing Latino culture to young children in a fun, creative way. 

The second half of the event featured performances from Scarlet Mambo and Dominicans of Middlesex. Scarlet Mambo, a dance and music company, played various styles of Latin music, including merengue and salsa. The lively percussive beats were a highlight of the event. 

Dominicans of Middlesex, a community-based Dominican culture group for youth, opened the performance with a vibrant merengue dance. The dance was only enhanced by the mesmerizing movement of the performers' traditional "cultivo de la vida" dresses. 

Scarlet Mambo invited audience members to perform with the company and learn how to play different percussion instruments. Dominicans of Middlesex also offered dancing lessons to anyone brave enough to take on the challenge.

During the performances, attendees were provided with free food and drinks, including soda, water, various snacks, dessert and an assortment of foods from Latino culture.

Anyone harboring an interest in broadening their cultural horizons or simply looking for a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon should consider visiting the Zimmerli.

If you missed this event, don't worry! The next "Último Domingo" event will be held on May 19, with future event dates on June 30, September 29, October 27 and November 24.