30th annual Day of the Dead exhibit opens in Pilsen

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The 30th Annual Day of the Dead exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen opened Friday night.

The exhibit, "Journey of the Soul," showcases the roots and rituals involved in the spiritual tradition.

"Thirty years ago people didn't really know what Day of the Dead was. They thought was it Halloween, was it something scary, was it something ghoulish? Obviously, people now know that it's a beautiful celebration of life," said chief curator Cesaro Mareno.

The museum said more than 50 Mexican artists from both sides of the border make up this largest annual exhibition of Dead of the Dead in the U.S.