The Art of Loss: a Spotlight on Art about Grief
The Dark Interval,
Rainer Maria Rilke
“Through life and death.
We must live in both,
be intimately at home in both.”
Compiled from his extensive letters, this collection brings together Rilke’s most profound writings on grief. His perspective is clear: rather than retreating from pain or struggling to overcome loss, we can move with and through grief to connect more deeply with the present.
Through poetic language and accessible philosophy, what emerges is not a book about death, but about how fully we can inhabit our lives when we acknowledge death is woven into them.
Untitled
(Portrait of Ross in L.A.),
Félix González-Torres
After Félix González-Torres’s partner, Ross Laycock, died of AIDs complications in 1991, he responded with one of the most powerful explorations of grief in contemporary art: 175 pounds (Ross’s ideal weight pre-illness) of candy piled on the gallery floor for visitors to take.
Each visitor is faced with an impossible choice. To take a candy is to carry a small part of Ross with you, but also contributes to his disappearance. To leave the pile untouched preserves him a bit longer, but without engaging with him fully. Yet the artist’s intention that the pile be replenished while on display perhaps highlights the potential for grief, remembrance, and renewal to coexist.
Félix González-Torres Foundation | Wiki | Chicago Art Institute
Community Open House
Join us for an Open House on Tuesday, May 5th to see our space and celebrate GiveBIG as a community. All are welcome. Pizza and soft drinks on us!
Tuesday, May 5th @ 4-7pm
6559 35th Ave NE Unit 247
Seattle, WA 98115
Upcoming Camps & Workshops
Kids Summer Camps
There are a few remaining spots for our free summer camps! Campers will meet from 9am-Noon at our NE Seattle location.
- Session One (ages 6-9): 7/13-17
- Session Two (ages 9-12): 8/10-14
Grief Writing Workshop – 4/19 @ 3pm
Caroline Catlin, MFA is offering a free, two-hour workshop centered around writing & processing grief. You can learn more about the workshop here.
For sign-ups or info, contact us.
Hot Off The Presses
Our very own Caroline Catlin, Healing Center Youth Program Lead, was interviewed by Maggie Penmen about her pep talk sidewalk library. Be sure to check out the article!
Donor Impacts: GiveBIG is Coming!
Save the date for GiveBIG 2026 happening Tuesday, May 5th!
Whether by donating or spreading the word, we need your help to meet our annual $60,000 goal.
More information soon!