We were excited to join community artists at the 2025 Plant Material Holiday sale. It was good to finally be back in Altadena. This was the first time many of us had done something creative in the burn zone since the fire 12 months prior. The support from Altadeneans and people from the surrounding community was incredible.
After the Eaton Fire, Blue Milagro artist, Margarita Sosa, created this beautiful papel picado design for the Blue Milagro Altadena dia de los Muerto altar at Bob Baker Marionette Theater. She generously donated the design to the people of Altadena and we have transformed the design into dish towels and cards so displaced residents can have a reminder of their sweet community wherever they are, until they rebuild. We have been selling dish towels to fund raise for Altadena businesses and community members as the town rebuilds. All proceeds go to help our community recover. This is our love letter to Altadena.
Karen Walker Chamberlin is the Founder and Creative Director of Blue Milagro. A non-profit organization dedicated to education and cultural diversity in our public schools.
B.L.U.E. (Beyond Limitations Urban Education) MILAGRO (Miracle)
Blue Milagro is a group of local artists committed to the cultural and arts education of youth in Pasadena. It’s goal is to create a multicultural and artistic experience based on education and collaboration between working artists, Pasadena elementary students, college students and educational institutions.The goal of Blue Milagro is to create a multi level, multi cultural educational experience using Día de Los Muertos as a platform. Blue Milagro educates and works with elementary age children to make meaningful Día De Los Muertos art pieces to be exhibited in an annual exhibition alongside well known artists and college students from the art community in Pasadena. Although we are celebrating the Mexican tradition of remembering loved ones that have passed on, the tradition is translated through the multicultural history, storytelling and creative expression of our community of artists.
https://bluemilagro.wordpress.com/
A tribute to the current number of fallen soliders in the Iraq war. The flag is constructed from the 5130 portraits. The mixed media collage was exhibited at the Pasadena Playhouse gallery for the Blue Milagro Dia de los Muerto event at the historic Pasadena Playhouse.
Blue Milagro poster art created to promote the 19th annual Dia de los Muertos event in the Playhouse district.
Art Direction + Design:
Karen Walker Chamberlin
Skull illustration: Sergio Teran
Blue Milagro’s volunteer led altar workshop with Ms. York's 3rd Grade Class pays tribute to loved ones and celebrates the diversity in our community. Hundreds of altars were created by local children at surrounding public schools and exhibited over a six year period. The altars were on display in the Zona Rosa gallery for ArtWalk and the Blue Milagro Dia de los Muertos festival.
Grammy Award Winning band Quetzal entertains the crowd at the Annual Blue Milagro Dia de los Muertos festival at the historic Pasadena Playhouse.
