Click here to see a gallery of photos from this installation.


Re-Membering:
 Of Things Lost and Found
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Pop Up Art Installation and 
Series of Events on the theme of Legacy for the Week of All Souls
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Week of October 28 through November 4
Lyman Hall, First Churches
11 Center Street, Northampton, MA
To re-member is to reconnect to the whole story of our lives—the people, the places, the events, good and bad, that have shaped us.  This pop-up series of events invites thoughtful reflection on the liminal spaces in our lives—those stories which lie between our experiences of being lost and the surprise of being found again, often in unexpected ways.

Taking place during the week of “thin places” where the lines between the realms is permeable, it is All Souls in the Christian tradition, Day of the Dead in Mexican culture and All Hallows Eve in pagan religions. We remember the ancestors, the saints, the beloved ones, the memories and invite them—if only momentarily—to be with us once again.

The art featured in this show was lost for a long time:  Martha Johnson’s exquisite collages and paintings, created during a particularly dark time in her life, were stuffed in a closet for 15 years. Sig Feller’s extraordinary pottery, jewelry and woodworking were found in a musty basement by his family, several years after his death.
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Check Out the Schedule of Events below....

​Schedule of Events:

Sunday, October, 28, 2:00-6:00pm;
poetry reading at 3:00pm,in Lyman Hall 
Opening Art Reception with Poetry Reading
This series opens with a reception showcasing Martha Johnson and Sig Feller’s never-before-seen creative works, including collage, paintings, woodworking and pottery. During the reception, Martha will read from her books of poetry “Musing Along the Way,” which document her struggle to come to terms with her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and the discoveries about living she has found along the way. Sig Feller’s son Bart will share what he has come to understand about his relationship with his father since his death.

Monday morning, October 29, 10am-12:00, in the parlor
Can We Talk?  An honest conversation with Martha Johnson​  about living life fully in the shadow of aging and/or chronic illness.  

Monday Evening, October 28, 6-7:30pm, in Lyman Hall
Life/Story: Six-Word Memoir  Your one “wild and precious life” in SIX words only? Impossible! But wait...An exquisite and important exercise in self-reflection.
 
Tuesday morning, October 30, 10-11:30, in Lyman Hall 
Celebrate! Creating Your Memorial Service
There are no rules about your funeral or memorial service…really!  Rev. Susannah Crolius will offer some thoughts on and resources for creating meaningful services. Guided by Susannah, you are then invited to begin to craft the shape, form and content of your own life celebration.
 
Tuesday, evening, 6:00-8:00pm, in the parlor
Can We Talk?An honest and hopeful conversation with Martha Johnson​ about living life fully in the shadow of aging and/or chronic illness
 
Wednesday morning, October 31, 10am-12, in Lyman Hall
Why Not Do What You Love? Martha Johnson states that “I started healing after I gave voice to my most authentic self”.  Her book by the same title explores this healing and invites  you to do the same. 

Thursday morning, November 1, 10:00am-12:30pm,
in Lyman Hall
Re-Membering: Making Recuerdos
from Mexican culture, recuerdos are mementos of remembrance.  We will use poetry as a jumping off place to memory (feel free to bring your favorite poem about remembering). You will then have access to an eclectic variety of fascinating materials from which to make your own recuerdos.
 
Thursday evening, November 1, 6:00pm-7:30pm, in collaboration with Common Ground, Lyman Hall
Re-Membering: Making Recuerdos
Art & Soul and Common Ground join together to feed the body and the soul.  Common Ground is a farm-to-table dinner church offering fresh homemade soup from the garden and community around the table.  Join us for dinner and the making of recuerdos.You will then have access to an eclectic variety of fascinating materials from which to make your own "objects of remembrance."

 Saturday morning, November 3, 9:30am-12:00,
in Lyman Hall 
Legacy: A Creative Conversation
Martha Johnson will spend some time inviting conversation about our life legacies. We will then create storyboards in the petchakucha style of storytelling. Absolutely no artistic experience necessary!
 
Saturday Afternoon, 1:00-2:30in Lyman Hall 
Celebrate! Creating Your Memorial Service
There are no rules about your funeral or memorial service…really!  Rev. Susannah Crolius will offer some thoughts on and resources for creating meaningful services. Guided by Susannah, you are then invited to begin to craft the shape, form and content of your own life celebration.

Preregistration for events other than the Opening Reception is requested:
TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS OR FOR QUESTIONS: 
email artandsoul.wm@gmail.com or call/text 413-348-2385
​a free will donation is suggested for these events

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For more about Martha Johnson:
meetmarthajohnson.com
https://meetmarthajohnson.com/home/about

For more about Sig Feller:
https://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/obituary-siegfried-feller-retired-chief-bibliographer-libraries
 
 




 




 



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