Zombie clocks, skateboards and Day of the Dead art had Athenians zombie walking to Union Street this past weekend for a bloody good time.
UnionArts revealed a new exhibit Friday in light of the upcoming Mexican holiday Day of the Dead on Nov. 2. Paintings and drawings by artist Laura Serna-Maytorena, an Ohio University alumna who now lives in Marietta, hung on the basement walls for students and community members donning shredded garb and faux wounds to look at.
The death-fest didn’t stop at UnionArts, though. Many Union Street businesses participated by displaying zombie-inspired art. For instance, O’Betty’s, 30 W. Union St., exhibited zombie clocks made by Athens artist Devin Aeh, while Art Apocalypse, 16 W. Union St., presented a series of skateboards — joined by a zombie-fied Cookie Monster painting — in the window.
“We definitely have a zombie-friendly culture here,” said Jim Warner, a tattoo artist at Art Apocalypse who graduated from OU in 1997. “There has been talk to develop an art district in Athens and I think that, between the art gallery and the tattoo shop, this would be a great place to do it.”
Kelly Lawrence, part owner of UnionArts, said she hopes to make the district between Congress and Court streets into a gallery hop similar to Nelsonville’s Final Fridays.
“Of any part of Athens, we have the most art hanging in shops and it’s easier to have an event that has several stops in one compact area,” she said. “Eventually, we’d love to turn it into a citywide event.”
Serna-Maytorena, of Mexican and Yaqui Indian descent, sang traditional Mexican folk songs during the opening of her exhibit, which she said inspired many of her pieces: oil paintings and drawings of personified trees, Mexican legends and skeletons.
Friday night’s Zombie Art Walk also included a costume contest for three age groups. The winners from the youngest crowd were brothers, one dressed in military gear drenched in fake blood, the other in country flannel with a morbid twist.
The winner of the eldest group, Deven Rine, who plans to attend OU next year, said he was inspired to dress up for the event by his longtime interest in theatre and zombie makeup.
“I also like to imagine the breakdown in social construct if (a zombie apocalypse) ever happened,” he said.
Whit’s, 49 S. Court St., and Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, 24 W. Union St., also participated in the event by exhibiting other
themed artwork.
The Day of the Dead exhibit will be on display until Nov. 3.
oy311909@ohiou.edu
