Death Education
Free programs on death, dying, and remembrance
If a cemetery isn’t the perfect setting for a conversation about death, what is?
It doesn’t often come up too often in small talk—it’s one of the last great taboos. Here at Green-Wood, we aim to change that. Our free public programs in death education demystify a wide range of topics relating to end of life. Scroll down for upcoming programs.
What is death education? It’s an umbrella term for studies and activities that facilitate the understanding and acceptance of death. In short, it’s all about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable universal truth of dying. It can incorporate understanding everyday practices like funerals and cremation, or exploring historical and cultural approaches to death. At Green-Wood we offer practical programs in death preparedness (including workshops on grief), lectures by academic experts in the death-positive field, programs that examine death through the lens of different cultures, and Death Cafes (informal, guided conversations about death).
Green-Wood’s death education programs are curated by Gabrielle Gatto, coordinator of public programs. She holds a certificate in Thanatology from The Open Center and is a graduate of the Going with Grace End of Life Training program with Alua Arthur.
Mortality & Me: Green-Wood’s Book Club
It can be difficult to engage in conversations about death: Will I say the wrong thing? Am I going to offend someone? Who wants to discuss morbid stuff anyway? Green-Wood’s book club, Mortality & Me, helps make death, dying, and end-of-life matters easier to talk about through compelling books that tackle these topics head on. ... Read more
Movement Meditation for Grief
What can our bodies teach us about grief? How can our gestures impact the way our mind and body heals? What narratives of our journey through loss can be told through movement? In this new three part series led by the practitioners of ONEYOGAHOUSE, attendees will be guided toward healing grief through conversation, light movement ... Read more
The Art of the Condolence Letter
Have you ever grasped to find a better version of “sorry for your loss?” Oftentimes it feels too sterile, but it’s all we seem to have in our vernacular. In an effort to find the balance of conveying sympathy, admiration, and support, this program focuses on the art of carefully crafting your words to a ... Read more
For Earth Day: Grief, Art, and Nature with Mary Ting
How can protecting the natural world provide connection and solace for those who are grieving? In celebration of Earth Week, artist and educator Mary Ting will lead a discussion around grief from an ecological perspective. Ting will present her work and its trajectory from personal grief to environmental research, lectures, and community projects such as ... Read more
Conversing with the Dead
A Talk With Eiko Otake “My Mother died a good death. Attended by me, her death was unhurried, and convincingly due.” — Eiko Otake Join us for a special evening with acclaimed movement-based, interdisciplinary artist Eiko Otake, whose latest Installation, Mother, is currently on view in the Historic Chapel. Having often explored themes of loss, ... Read more
With the Dead
A Performance By Eiko Otake “We all came from a mother, even if some people never met their mothers. From their own birth, mothers contain all the eggs that they will ever have in life. We have been formed from unmeasurable time. Remembering or imagining a mother’s life and body is also to reflect on ... Read more
With the Dead
A Performance By Eiko Otake “We all came from a mother, even if some people never met their mothers. From their own birth, mothers contain all the eggs that they will ever have in life. We have been formed from unmeasurable time. Remembering or imagining a mother’s life and body is also to reflect on ... Read more
Naming the Lost Memorials Activation Ceremony
NAMING THE LOST Memorials (NTLM) is a small team of artists, activists, and folklorists that has been curating memorial sites in New York City to name and remember victims of the COVID-19 pandemic since May 2020. The memorials consist of tens of thousands of nameplates with personalized drawings and photos, created by the families and ... Read more
Death Cafe
The Death Cafe is a simple concept. Bring strangers together to discuss one of the great universal truths: death. With thousands of chapters in over 25 countries around the world, Death Cafes are informal gatherings that aim to “increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their lives.” There ... Read more
A Day in the Life of A Gravedigger
Ever wonder what it’s like to live alongside death on a daily basis? What inspires someone to work in the death-care field? Green-Wood’s “A Day in the Life” series brings together industry professionals for lively conversations on the intricacies of their trade and to answer your burning questions about the field of end-of-life care. This ... Read more
