In 2023, Congressional Cemetery staff looked outside their office windows and found themselves realizing the grand, oversized “Big Chair” was a blank canvas awaiting an artist’s touch. Staff decided to transform the “Big Chair” into a mesmerizing symbol of joy and inspiration by inviting talented neighbors and community members to contribute their hopeful messages and images to it as the cemetery’s first community-led public art project.
The staff received a mini grant from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation to kick off this project, aptly titled “Messages of Hope”. The chair had been a pandemic project for neighbors C. “Johann” Sung, Pamela “Zai” Zai, and their beagle Meela, who built the chair inside their home and donated it to the cemetery as an intriguing outdoor attraction to greet visitors at the front gate. Now, when they see the chair, they can celebrate the hopeful place it has become from all of those on the Hill.
In the fall of 2023, the first chair artists were selected from a social media call for submissions. Mother and son duo Heather and Aiden painted a lighthouse scene titled “Light in the Darkness” on the chair in honor of suicide awareness. The lighthouse in their artwork symbolized a beacon of hope and guidance, offering light and support to those navigating the turbulent waters of mental health challenges and the tragedy of suicide. This piece of art, born from personal loss and love for their relative Justin Handley, reminds viewers of the importance of suicide prevention and mental health awareness. A Meet the Artist social was held in September, where viewers were invited to tie a ribbon onto the railing around the big chair as a tribute to those lost to suicide. In the spring of 2024, Aiden died by suicide and the chair community and cemetery staff came together to honor his life and contribution to the project. Visitors can see a drawing of his dragon tattoo on one of the chair’s arms, painted by subsequent chair artist Elizabeth Marik.
Marik’s design was featured in the second Message of Hope installation in December 2023 along with two other painters, Michele L., and Evelyn M. of Compassionate Friends. The candles they depicted were in honor of the annual Worldwide Compassionate Friends Candle Lighting Ceremony and included their motto: “We Need Not Walk Alone.” Compassionate Friends supports families who have lost children of any age. Their motto was left on the chair as part of its story to be incorporated in subsequent designs.
Marik again became message giver in the spring and summer of 2024. In spring, for the season following the vernal equinox, the design included flowers associated with death and mourning such as marigolds, daisies, lilies, and a white rose. In summer, painted images reflecting Marik’s experience as part of the LGBTQ+ community were included. The design expressed a sincere wish for communities to come together to break free of what confines us to create universal freedom of expression for all.
For more information about our Messages of Hope project, please inquire in the gatehouse or email: DeathDoula@congressionalcemetery.org. We are always looking to feature local artists and voices!
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May 17, 2022
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