The Ancestors Project was initiated in 2005 as a way for the public to permenently memorialize their loved ones in the Procession. It is one of the most inclusive of the ASP Projects, where participants are invited to submit photographs of their ancestry and recently deceased. In the months leading up to the Procession, images are collected, catalogued, and edited into a video slideshow that is presented on the night of All Souls, along its route and at the Grand Finale.
Coverage by the Tucson Citizen & Access Tucson
Anyone can participate in this project, which is mostly executed over the Internet. The images collected every year become part of the Ancestors Archive, an "evolving digital altar" that is one of the many legacies of the Procession and its radical inclusivity. The following slideshow is a brief sample from the Archive.
If you would like to contribute to this project, please read
the Terms of Use and follow e-mail instructions below.
Participants can submit up to seven (7) images.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Image sizes should be saved as a JPEG and not exceed 3 MB.
2. Attach files in an email with the subject, "Video Ancestry Photo Submission."
3. Provide some background on the photo: Who's in the picture? Provide full names and general ages as best as possible. Where was the photo taken? What is going on in the picture?
4. Provide your full name, age, and where you live (town, state, country).
5. Send e-mails to: ancestorsproject@allsoulsprocession.org
ANCESTORS PROJECT TERMS OF USE
Images submitted to the Ancestors Project will be color-corrected and cropped to fit standard DV resolution.
In no way will images be distorted, cut-up, or edited as to misrepresent, and/or change the likeness of the main subject in the photo. Many Mouths One Stomach, organizers of the All Souls Procession, agrees to treat all submitted images with the utmost care and respect. Past years images are placed in the MMOS Archive.
By submitting images to the Ancestors Project you acknowledge that the above information is understood and give MMOS permission to use the images for publicity purposes.
MAUSOLEUM
In 2005, Matt Cotten created the Ancestors Mausoleum, a multi-panel, life-size display of ancestral portraits, installed along the Procession route. This installation, like the video component, also grows in scope each year.
Photo by Susan K. Tiss
To create some of the large scale portraits, Matt Cotten solicits commisions from the public. If you would like a portrait of one of your ancestors to be added to the Mausoleum, please contact Matt Cotten via e-mail.
Asking price: $200 - $300.
A certain percentage of this fee will go towards All Souls expenses. The artwork will be included in each year's Mausoleum Project. Sponsors would not aquire the final piece but would be supporting the event, while creating a way to honor thier loved ones in an annual ritual.
