DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS OFFERING HAS BEEN CANCELED.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR CHELSEA’S VISION AND HOPE TO HOST HER IN YEARS TO COME. IN THE MEANTIME, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR HER UPCOMING BOOK ABOUT DEATH AND GRIEF.
Death and Transition Series at LICHEN CENTER presents a class on “Art & Story, Death & Grief” with Chelsea Granger
“After my dear friend Ruth’s death and the sudden death of my mom, Suzann, my world was bent and rearranged. Since those deaths my art has taken on a world of spirit, ghosts, and multiple dimensions. My drawings and painting mostly take on the idea of being lovingly haunted by what we cannot see. I make painting as prayer.
Currently, I am in the process of finishing a book about death and grief. For the three hours we are together I plan to read from my death & grief newsletter project as well as the book. I will also talk about my experience of making art about death and open up the space to questions and conversations about artmaking & grief. ” - Chelsea
Excerpt from the introduction of the work-in-progress book:
This book is because I want to talk about death, because I want to talk about grief. This book is because I believe we need to talk about death more than we do. I think we need more books and more people talking about death & grief. Because when she died I wanted something like this. Because I want to share my experience and my friends experiences, to expand the conversation. This book exists because I believe in art. Because I think our stories matter, because I think our grief matters. Because maybe one person who reads this might feel less alone. With this book I invite the dead to sit at the table. And for us to sit there with them. In doing grief work I also hope it helps return us to our humility and our humanity—and within in that, justice and joy.
Over the years I had built a small following through my art on Instagram as a way to find my voice and to insert death into my social media feed—I started making simple posts about what my grief felt like, I was flooded with comments from people grateful to hear my thoughts, and open to sharing theirs as well. It became clear that people were hungry to talk about their experiences and that they appreciated hearing mine.
Years later, still no zine and disillusioned by Instagram I decided to experiment with a new project to keep the conversation going. I love paper mail and so I committed to a twelve-month project—a death & grief newsletter, one letter a month for all of 2019. My intention was to send a 2-4 page photocopied newsletter full of my own writing & drawings, book recommendations, poems, quotes, etc. Over 150 people signed up. For twelve months I wrote about death and grief. Write.
Cindy Crabb’s Doris zines are what helped me feel brave enough to make a book, Cindy says, “I wrote because I loved writing, and because I wanted to break down the secrets and barriers of our cultures and worlds. I wanted realness in my life, and I wanted to push myself to find the real inside me.”
—
Chelsea Granger is an artist and published illustrator. She is a longtime member of the artists collective The Royal Frog Ballet, as well as a collaborative project with Thyme Herbal, making medicine posters and zines. She recently completed Dirt Gems, a Plant Oracle card deck in collaboration with Anne Louise Burdett. Chelsea’s art is of the everyday, she is interested in painting as medicine, painting as a portal, painting as a spell.
She sees her art as a way to ‘sing up’ life, and push against death-phobia in hopes that her art can act as a doorway to conversations about death and grief.
Chelsea’s Website Chelsea’s Instagram
When: Saturday, August 28, 4-7pm
Where: LICHEN CENTER, Blue Hill, Maine / Penobscot Territory
Cost: $30 per person. Please let us know if $30 is more than you can afford; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
This offering will take place outside, so please bring what you need to be comfortable. We will provide water, tea and chairs. Bring your own cup and snacks. If you need any specific accommodations, please let us know.
Sign-up by August 24, 2021