The Grief Garden is an enchanted and holistic experience for healing through grief while in relationship with the outdoors. Nourishment will be offered through a series of stations that center rest, movement, medicine making, and sound. Join visiting artist Julia Mallory, along with creatives, healers and fellow community members on Saturday May 20th between the hours of 2:00pm-5:00pm in the GoggleWorks Gardens at 247 Walnut Street Reading PA, 19601.
In case of thunderstorms or heavy rains
If there is light rain or occasional rain showers we are still planning to have the event. If there are thunderstorms or heavy downpour then the event will be rescheduled to June 11 2pm-5pm. If this changes and the event is rescheduled please check for updates in your E-mail and on our social media.
Arrival & Parking
We will be operating on a staggered schedule with sessions happening in 30 minute time slots. This will allow you to enjoy more than one station during your time at the event.
Parking is free. You may park anywhere in the GoggleWorks parking lot. The GoggleWorks Gardens is located directly across the street at 247 Walnut Street. Look for the large “GoggleWorks Gardens” banner on the front fence.
What to Bring
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
Bring A refillable water bottle
Bring A picnic blanket, sheet, towel or yoga mat
Bring any photos, memories or items of your loved ones. There will be a community altar space available in which you can present these items.
Bathrooms and Accessibility
This is a fully outdoor event so be sure to prepare accordingly. Bathrooms are not available directly in the gardens but public bathrooms are available on the GoggleWorks main campus.
Event Schedule
We will be operating on a staggered schedule with 30 minute time slots. This allows you to arrive at flexible times and enjoy more than one station during the event.
Offerings
Altar Space
Collage Art Therapy
Medicine Making with Dominique Matti
Massage Therapy with Cece Mayo of Garden Bodywork
Release and Flow with C. Woods
Sonic Soothing with DJ J-RoD
Ready to Fly with The Soul Papi
and more!
Who will be there?
Below are the amazing human beings who have come together to hold space and cultivate the experience at The Grief Garden
https://goggleworks.org/event/
Julia Mallory
Julia Mallory didn’t set out to become a community grief worker. The death of her eldest son Julian in 2017 changed that as she began to process her loss in public ways that resonated with others. Now for the last six years, she has been sharing her experiences with loss in an effort to demonstrate that it is okay to acknowledge our grief and to talk about it. As a multidisciplinary artist, she develops creative and compassionate healing experiences, her latest of which is The Grief Garden event, in collaboration with GoggleWorks Gardens at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. To learn more about her and her work visit her site below.
http://www.thejuliamallory.
Dominique Matti is a mother, gardener, writer, lover, and maker of all kinds of medicine. She grows, teaches, learns and lives with her two children, two cats, and too many plants, books, and jars in Philadelphia. In her professional life, she teaches herbalism, and works to ensure the equitable resourcing of farmers of color in Pennsylvania.
https://www.bartramsgarden.
C. Woods
C. Woods is a performer, yogi, and creative assistant born on the unceded land of the Susquehannock people, now called Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Woods earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Currently, C. is a company member of Renegade Performance Group and Maliek Dance Theater in Brooklyn, NY, as well as a resident choreographer for Sankofa African American Theatre Company in her hometown. Woods aims to strengthen sustainable systems that foster the opportunity for progressive environments within artistic and diasporic communities to flourish. Without dance, I am too sure who I would be!
CeCe Mayo
Garden Bodywork is a home-based massage therapy business founded on the principles of accessibility, community building, and strong client communication. As a small business, I prioritize personalized attention and customized care to meet each client’s unique needs. My goal is to make massage therapy more accessible and approachable for everyone, by creating a welcoming and inclusive space for clients to receive quality care. With a focus on building lasting relationships with my clients and fostering a sense of community, Garden Bodywork is committed to providing professional and effective massage therapy in a comfortable and convenient home-based setting
https://gardenbodywork.as.me/
The Soul Papi
My name is John Zabala but I go by the name “The Soul Papi”. I create soulful, socially conscious, healing music for the community. My latest body of work out is ‘Ready to Fly” which focuses on how I moved through grief after my mother transitioned to the next life in 2021. I believe music has the power to allow us to be as human as possible and do the work we need internally to be well.
DJ J-RoD
My name is Jarrod “J-RoD BRoWN” and I’m the founder of Music is Passion. Music Is Passion is a recording label and production company that helps develop artists in music, podcasting, voice overs, beat-making and other aspects of producing and recording audio.We aim to be a professional and affordable solution for all of your audio production and recording needs.
https://www.
Tiana Zabala
Tiana Zabala or “Creative Tiana” is passionate about growing food, medicine, and communities. She is currently the garden manager at GoggleWorks center for the Arts where she continues her work in urban farming, cultivating community and developing opportunities for collective healing. To learn more about how you can be involved in the work being done at the GoggleWorks Gardens visit the site below.
https://goggleworks.org/