As the colder weather sneaks up, activities may start to pivot indoors. One cold-proof activity is the Kalamazoo Valley Museum's new exhibit of Mexican masks.
There are 50 masks in total, with five mannequins fully clad in regalia. They are typically used at festivals and dances throughout the year.
Some of the masks pay homage to famous figures such as Pablo Picasso, while others deal with death, the afterlife and the devil.
KVM’s Julie Bunke says her least favorite mask is Pennywise from the horror movie It.
“The It franchise from Stephen King, which I do not care for at all, and it really kind of took me aback because it is such a close resemblance of the character from the movie,” Bunke said.
Bunke also has a favorite piece, which is a Caiman alligator. The piece is carved from wood and is designed for children.
“This one is really kind of just an engineering marvel because it's one piece of wood carved for a child to be able to insert his body in and then wear it. Like he is the Caiman or the alligator.”
Due to the weight and bulk of the items, dancers typically have spotters to prevent falling.
“Some of the clothing pieces are quite heavy when we unpacked them because they’re fully beaded. Some have mirrors, like pieces of glass, adorned on them which makes them very heavy and very cumbersome,” Bunke said.
The exhibit will run through Jan. 4.
