Getty Conservation Institute Releases Film on Ofelia and Rosanna Esparza's Ofrendas
On July 2, 2026, the Getty Conservation Institute announced the release of its latest Artist Dialogues film, "Ofelia and Rosanna Esparza: Made to Remember." The film features Ofelia Esparza, born in East Los Angeles in 1932, and her daughter Rosanna Esparza Ahrens, who have spent decades building elaborate ofrendas—altars honoring deceased loved ones—as a form of ephemeral contemporary art. The ofrendas incorporate handmade paper flowers, textiles, photographs, and layered narratives, with the practice passed down through generations. The film presents the ofrenda as carefully composed yet temporary by design, sustained through storytelling and community solidarity rather than material permanence.
The Signal
The film underscores a shift in conservation thinking within the Getty Conservation Institute, moving beyond material preservation to recognize intergenerational continuity as a legitimate form of cultural heritage maintenance. For collectors and curators, this positions community-based ephemeral practices—like the Esparzas' ofrendas—as significant contemporary art forms that challenge traditional museum conservation models. The Artist Dialogues series itself signals an institutional effort to amplify voices often underrepresented in conservation discourse, particularly those rooted in living traditions rather than static objects.
- Artists: Ofelia Esparza, Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
- People: Ofelia Esparza, Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
- Museums: Getty Conservation Institute
- Locations: Los Angeles
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