Arte y Vida

Gran Moreno plays a DJ set, and Miguel St. Michael performs live. The solo exhibit is by Mónica Ceniceros, the gallery's founder, shown alongside work by Mexico City artist Melina Garza for the first time. Teoxochitl Designs builds the life-size community ofrenda and the florals. Sana Sana Taqueria handles the food.

Marigolds and candlelight fill the arched room, with the ofrenda at the center. A silent auction offers hand-painted ceramic skulls from artists in the collective. Sana Sana serves tacos such as pollo en mole and calabaza tatemada, with pan de muerto on the side. Limpias by La Femme Mistica and custom poems by Violet Vela are part of the evening, and the limpias run first come, first served.

The Cathedral has grown its collective from 14 to 40 local women and nonbinary artists. It says it has put about $750,000 directly into their pockets. This night helps keep that artist-first model going. It is also a chance to see the former church at its most dressed up, in a celebration with real community roots in East Austin.