NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF…LET’S TALK ABOUT DEATH
a week of community death education, art, and conversation

October 10-15, 2022

Hosted by the Lily House, a community home for living and dying in Wellfleet, MA
Mission: To provide around-the-clock hospice-level care in a peaceful, compassionate, and contemplative environment where terminally ill residents can live and die with dignity, comfort, and grace while being cared for with love—at no cost to those in need.
For more information, visit: thelilyhouse.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10
4:00-5:30pm
Death Café
a participant-led discussion about death and dying with tea and cake

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11
11:00am-12:30pm
Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter
author talk/reading followed by Q&A and book signing
E.B. Bartels, Writer
(Introduction TBD)

2:00-3:30pm
Pet Loss: Engaging with Art and Ritual
panel discussion with audience participation
E.B. Bartels, Writer
Glenn Loomis, Pet dDula
Jen Rumpza, Artist Pet Portraiture
Dawn Walsh, Home Funeral Guide
(Moderator TBD)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12
11:00am-12:30pm
Leaving a Legacy in Life and Death
planned giving, philanthropy, and possibilities
Susan Veroff, Director Emerita, Principal Gifts, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
(Introduction: Anne Cowie, Lily House Board of Directors)

2:00-4:00pm
Xoloitzcuintli: Dog Spirit Guide to the Kingdom of the Dead
make your own clay Xolo, a central figure in the tradition of the Mexican Día de Muertos
Ellen Lebow, Artist
(Introduction: TBD)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13
11:00am-12:30pm
Medical Aid in Dying & Palliative Sedation
end-of-life choices supporting our right to die with dignity
Roger Kligler, M.D.
(Introduction TBD)

2:00pm-3:30pm
Home Funerals: Reclaiming Our Human Right to Care for Our Dead
interactive workshop with audience participation
Dawn Walsh, Home Funeral Guide
(Introduction TBD)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14
11:00am-12:30pm
Living, Dying, Grieving: Community-Centered Continuum of Care
panel discussion with audience participation
Gwynne Guzzeau, Helping Our Women Executive Director
Glenn Loomis, Lily House Board President
Rachel Peters, In-Home Personal Caretaker
Kathleen Shien-O’Brien, Sharing Kindness Clinical Consultant
(Moderator TBD)

1:30-4:30pm
Let’s Talk About Death
interactive workshop on developing and sharing your stories
Vanessa Vartabedian, Mosquito Story Slam Creator and Producer
(Introduction TBD)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15
11:00am-12:30pm
Cannabis and Psychedelics to Ease the Journey
panel discussion with audience participation
Gwynne Guzzeau, MS
Jack Hudson, founder Ermont Medical Cannabis Dispensary
Patricia van Dijkhuisen, MSW
(Moderator TBD)

2:00-3:30pm
Death Café
a participant-led discussion about death and dying with tea and cake
Ongoing Interactive Arts

Before I Die
A global art project that invites us to reflect upon our mortality and consider the things that
matter most. Program participants are invited to contribute to a chalkboard wall with the prompt
“Before I Die, I Want To________________.”

Community Ofrenda
Central to the Mexican Día de Muertos, ofrendas are altars of offerings (flowers, photos, food,
drink, candles, personal mementoes, etc.) created to remember deceased loved ones and invite them back for a visit. Program participants are invited to bring their own ofrenda items to contribute to a community ofrenda exhibition.

Phone on the Wind
An installation phone booth for calling the dead located in the Sculpture Gardens of the
Provincetown Commons. Program participants are invited to pick up the phone, dial the number, and (re)connect with a loved one.