Eaton Canyon’s Featured Artist

OFELIA ESPARZA &
ROSANNA ESPARZA AHRENS

Ofelia Esparza is an artist and educator from East Los Angeles where she was born in 1932. Esparza, a retired elementary school teacher from LAUSD, has been an artist since childhood. Esparza started making public altars at Self Help Graphics & Art in 1979, where she is best known as an “altarista” for Day of the Dead. It is at SHG where she learned and developed a body of work in printmaking. Her work reflects her spirituality and her Mexican indigenous heritage. Ofelia credits her mother’s influence in observing the mysticism and dignity of the natural world. A great portion of Esparza’s work honors womanhood. This is what inspires not only her ofrendas, but all facets of her art endeavors.

Along with her daughter, Rosanna Esparza Ahrens (b. 1961) – also an altarista and graphic designer, they consider themselves cultural facilitators, conducting workshops and lectures at schools, colleges, community venues and presently, in a correctional CA men’s correctional facility, California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, CA. In 2017, Ofelia and Rosanna were cultural advisors to the Pixar Movie “COCO”.

In 2018, because of her cultural work as an altarista. Ofelia was named a 2018 National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington DC. In 2019, the Esparza’s were featured in the PBS’ ARTBOUND Series: Season 10, Episode 3, “Dia De Los Muertos”. Also in 2019, she and her daughter were invited to create an altar for Day of the Dead at the Smithsonian National Museum of the America Indian in Washington, D.C. Ofelia and Rosanna are also 2024 Fellows of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts Fellowship for their community-based altar-making practice.