San Jacinto College North Campus will celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, with an art and culture show meant for all to enjoy the spookiest two days of the year. The festivity features art, a showing of a family-friendly movie, face painting, and free food and candy.

“It’s a fantastic event not only for our students but for the community,” North Gallery Director Joe Clark said. “Families from the neighborhood visit us on this event because they know it’s a fun, safe place to spend their Halloween.”

Students from sculpture, drawing and design classes on the North Campus will participate in the art show by crafting Halloween-themed art unique to their discipline.

“Design students are working on an interesting ‘self-portrait’ project where they’ve been asked to design their own personal coffin,” Clark said. “It sounds kind of morbid, but the designers really are enjoying the challenge.”

Since its inception in 2005, Clark said the Halloween Art Show has steadily grown to now gathering 300 or more students, friends, family, and alumni.

“It’s become a huge event we look forward to every year,” he said.

North Campus mail center employee Becky Martinez said she attends the Halloween Art Show every year.

“I find the whole experience life-affirming,” she said, “It is fun, but more importantly, it is safe.”

After years of attending, Martinez said she appreciates the Halloween spirit attendees openly exhibit.

“I enjoy the students who wear costumes,” Martinez said, “and I see that community members also attend, [which] I find that heartening.”

When the event began, it only celebrated Halloween. Now, it incorporates the day after.

“The last several years, it’s morphed into a mashup of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos,” Clark said, “which has made it more of a celebration of life, culture, and creativity instead of just another place to come and get your candy on Halloween.”

The Halloween Art Show will kick off with an artists’ reception on Oct. 31st from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will be on display until Nov. 11 at the North Gallery in the Grant Fine Arts Center (N1) on the North Campus. There is no charge for admission.