In the early spring woods beside the local river, this rudimentary brush shelter was constructed to house eight years worth of windblown, lawn-mower shredded, and cast-away graveside flowers, which I have collected one-by-one on walks, as they've rested against fences, river banks, and open fields surrounding our local cemetery.  Rich in memory and intention, layered in grief and duty, these flowers have born witness to unimaginable sorrows and conversations, unwittingly carrying the silent prayers of those left behind inside each artificial stem and petal. Shelter for Forgotten Grief is a mini "Sanctuary in the Woods," honoring the individual, collective, and historical griefs of a community and its land. 

As I continue to gather grave flowers as I come across them, this collection has continued to grow and has gone on to contribute to two successive pieces: Grief Garlands, 2018, and Gathering Grief: A Socially Distanced Mourning Gown, 2021.