The Grief Gallery: Objects of Longing and Belonging is a series of walking tours and gatherings exploring how everyday objects shape our sense of memory, identity, and place. This series invites participants to consider objects not only for their design and function, but for what they carry, personally, culturally, and emotionally.

At the center of this experience is The Grief Gallery®, a participatory project created by curator Charlene Lam that engages objects as not only static artifacts but active sites of meaning, holding layers of personal and collective significance. Attendees will explore how objects move between the practical and the symbolic, and how certain items become “iconic” within different cultural and personal contexts.

Schedule:

Friday, May 15 (2:00–3:30pm): Chinatown Walking Tour

Saturday, May 16 (11:00am–12:30pm): Chinatown Walking Tour

Saturday, May 16 (2:00–3:30pm): Grief, Arts & Design Gathering

RSVP: curatinggrief.com/gathering

Join one or all events. This series is designed for designers, artists, and curious observers alike. Anyone interested in how objects function as both material and meaning, and how they shape our understanding of longing, belonging, and loss is welcome!

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Friday, May 15 (2:00–3:30pm) — Chinatown Walking Tour
This guided walking tour explores how everyday objects carry personal, cultural, and emotional meaning. Beginning with a pop-up installation from The Grief Gallery®, we’ll move through Chinatown considering what makes certain objects “iconic," from design classics to items rooted in cultural practice.

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Saturday, May 16 (11:00am–12:30pm) — Chinatown Walking Tour
Join a walking tour through Chinatown, highlighting neighborhood spaces, everyday objects, and cultural iconography. Together, we’ll reflect on what we keep, what we inherit, and how objects come to occupy space in our communities, homes, and hearts.

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Saturday, May 16 (2:00–3:30pm) — Grief, Arts & Design Gathering
This gathering is for members of the arts and health community, particularly those connected to the National Organization for Arts in Health, though everyone interested in the intersection of grief, arts, and design is welcome. Including stops in Chinatown and at Mmuseumm and continuing at a nearby café, this session offers space for conversation, reflection, and connection. We’ll explore how objects can function as carriers of memory, meaning-making, and healing, using The Grief Gallery® and Mmuseumm's creative practice as examples.

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ONLINE OPTION:
Can’t make it in-person? Join The Grief Gallery’s free monthly gathering on Wed May 27th, 2pm ET on Zoom.

RSVP: curatinggrief.com/gathering