Lupe and Angela's painted flower created for the National Museum of Mexican Art's Day of the Dead exhibit (Image courtesy of Lupe Casas).
Lupe and Angela Casas standing in front of their flower featured in the Mexican Museum of National Art (Image courtesy of Lupe Casas).
The Wall of flowers in the Day of the Dead exhibit featuring 18 Chicago artists including Lupe and Angela Casas (Image courtesy of Matt Ragas).
Lupe's Mural for the Latinx Cultural Center (Image courtesy of Lupe Casas).
Lupe's paintings featured in Cup of Joe coffee shop (Image courtesy of Lupe Casas).
DePaul alumna Guadalupe Casas and her younger sister Angela have long been involved in the art world. During her time as a Public Relations and Advertising major at DePaul, Lupe created a mural for the school’s Latinx Cultural Center that included all Latinx countries. Angela won the Congressional Art Competition for her district, culminating in a trip to Washington, D.C., to see her work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel. Now the pair have crossed their next milestone: Exhibiting their work at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
“We were lucky enough to get an in-person meeting at the National Museum of Mexican Art. We didn’t get accepted the first time, but they gave us feedback that we used to create a combined art resume,” Lupe says.
The Day of the Dead exhibit, currently on view at the National Museum of Mexican Art, was the perfect opportunity for this pair of young artists to accomplish their dream. When they got the call asking them to be a part of the exhibit, they jumped at the opportunity.
A Dia de Los Muertos exhibition
This exhibition includes a big collaboration between 18 local artists that each created one of these flowers. They were given a broad topic: femicides of the world, the Day of the Dead, and the remembrance of the women who have passed.
The sisters’ collaborative flower painting features a woman in each of the four petals. Lupe’s petals show the life of a woman surrounded by symbols of strength and power, enduring the hardships of women around the world face such as violence or lack of financial independence. Angela’s petals bring attention to how many women are in violent situations or have died. Finally, the final petal brings closure.
“The fourth petal was about breaking the cycle of abuse. Sometimes death can be seen as more than just dying. It relates to the day of the dead, remembering the women that were killed and acknowledging that this is still going on regardless of the time we’re in,” Angela explains. The bees throughout the piece and home in the center of the flower symbolize how supposedly safe places and people can still be the source of harm for many women.
Left to Right: Matt Ragas, Lupe Casas, and Don Ingle at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen (Image courtesy of Matt Ragas).
Faculty in DePaul’s Public Relations and Advertising program already know what Lupe is capable of. “Lupe is one of the most amazing students we’ve had in this program,” says Don Ingle, faculty member in the College of Communication. While in his PR campaigns class, she led the winning team, pitching to Wendy’s and its agency, Ketchum.
“To see Lupe in her element explaining her artwork was a 'proud prof' moment,” says Matt Ragas, professor in the College of Communication. “In many ways this is why I teach at DePaul: To help give young people the confidence and connections they need to pursue their dreams.”
Art and sisterhood
Lupe and Angela often collaborate, especially when focusing on Latino art. “I’ve noticed that a lot of artists have their own unique thing. For us it’s sisterhood,” Angela says. Out of the 18 local artists chosen for the exhibition, the sisters were the only pair and youngest, at ages 23 and 17 at the time of the painting.
“We both have our different styles,” Lupe says, “My style has super bright colors and Angela’s is a little darker with a more serious tone. When we work together it’s like two worlds crossing into one to make something beautiful out of more serious topics.”
Lupe and Angela are intentional about making time for their art in their busy lives—Lupe now works in marketing for Walmart and Angela is a high school senior. Art is an important part of their lives, and they are not planning to slow down soon.
“We’ve had this goal for such a long time, and we were given a great opportunity that we’re really proud of. Now the question is how to continue being involved in the art world,” Lupe says. “During the opening, we got to meet artists who have been doing art for 40 years and have done murals all over the world. The question now is how can I be like them?”
The “Dia De Los Muertos, Living Art” exhibit is now on view at the National Museum of Mexican Art until December 10, 2023. Learn more at
nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org
Jade Walker is a student assistant of media relations and communications in University Communications.