Sugar Skulls are an intrinsic part of the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, so it seemed fitting that they should be included in the exhibition Dia de los Muertos: A Celebration of Life that I was curating at Florida CraftArt. A simple project of having some local artists decorate plywood skull forms felt like an easy way to raise some money for the nonprofit organization. Sometimes simple ideas refuse to remain confined within their original scope and they take on a life of their own and grow into something not previously conceived. This book is the apotheosis of a simple idea. What started as a basic fundraising idea has grown into a marvelous collection of 160 Sugar Skulls and this book. This collection is as diverse in design as the artists who made them. Award-winning artists, students, stay-at-home moms, and even a Senior Field Service Engineer in charge of firefighting equipment training at airports, have produced these incredible creative designs. Word spread quickly about this project and artists from across the United States and Canada were eager to participate. Through each artist’s unique, personal vision the amazing works of art that are pictured in this book were created. As this simple project grew into a massive one, so did the efforts required to facilitate it. I would like to thank all the staff at Florida CraftArt for their patience in assisting in this monumental effort. Florida CraftArt supports Florida’s fine craft artists and their work. The profits from this Sugar Skull project will be used to develop art programming for children. Nearly a year ago, when I had this idea, I never imagined such a great outcome. I would like to thank all of the artists for participating and putting forth such efforts. Job well done!Mark Noll, Curator