The artists will be present.
Royal Nebeker Gallery is dedicated to sustaining and promoting contemporary art and visual culture through exhibitions and programming, which creates a stimulating environment conducive to learning and creative expression.

A moderated in-person conversation will take place at the Royal Nebeker Gallery, with Emma Lewis Acker, Marne Lucas, Colesie Tharp, Dardinelle Troen, and moderator Jo Brickman, all practicing end-of-life doulas (EOLD). They will discuss their relationship to end-of-life care, and to each other as artists and doulas, and their artistic processes and materials. An opportunity for questions and answers will follow. End-of-life care advocacy materials will be made available throughout the duration of the exhibition, and at the related workshop series held at the Astoria Visual Arts gallery in downtown Astoria.

Jo Brickman, Facilitator
Jo is a transformational leader in design, sustainability, and nonprofit management. With Ensō Consulting, she is leveraging over twenty years of experience in private and non-profit sector roles to benefit companies and nonprofits with the potential to effect systems change for the better. As an INELDA-trained death doula, Jo also provides compassionate, nonmedical support to individuals, families, and their circles of care as they encounter and navigate death, loss, and mortality. She is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the local band, Drunken Angel. www.enso-consult.com/

September 22 - October 22, 2026 second-floor lobby, next to the Bandit Cafe, Columbia Hall Clatsop Community College. and at Astoria Visual Arts, Saturday, October 16 - Sunday, October 17, 2026.
Drop in style collaborative altar, all materials are provided. Colesie creates symbolic Remembrance Altars using beautiful recycled materials for the public to add to and rework throughout the exhibition.

*Participants are invited to bring small photos, and mementos to honor their loved ones who have died. Tharp views play and joy as an integral part of one’s mental health and creativity, regardless of age, drawing from her previous career in childhood education.

Colesie Tharp (she/her) grew up in the beautiful landscape of Eastern Oregon surrounded by her Basque family, whose historical stories led her to pursue deeper exploration of people, community and ritual. She has a background as a teacher and researcher working in Early Childhood Education, and is now a practicing End of Life Doula (EOLD) and Caregiver- an environment that lends itself naturally to hold and celebrate life - all while deeply honoring diverse experiences through practices that meet the individual's beliefs. She received EOLD training at the University of Vermont and received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Lewis and Clark College where she studied Theater. She is currently employed as a caregiver at Hopewell House Hospice as well as a Doula in private homes. Tharp’s EOLD practice includes rituals to be used in the landscape of death and dying: creating intentional spaces, altars, anointing dying loved ones with oils, listening and documenting life stories, and bringing in dear objects from their lives to add to their environment to bring peace and closure.

All materials are provided. Drop in, all ages. A collage on paper workshop exploring one’s own or a loved one’s legacy, all materials are provided. Create a beautiful personal collage to explore your life’s path and honor your legacy. Participants may keep their creations.

Marne Lucas is a multidisciplinary artist and death doula working at the intersection of art, science, and health, using conceptual overlaps: life’s energy, the body, and mortality, in social practice investigations. Lucas’ long-term projects are informed by the events and emotions of the community around her, and are inspired by the death doula and palliative care movements. An infrared thermal video pioneer, she uses heat-sensitive imaging technology to illuminate the magic and fragility of human life cycles. Founder of the ‘Bardo Project, Lucas explores creativity as a form of spiritual care in collaborations with terminally ill artists to establish their legacy. Lucas received training via INELDA as an End of Life Doula, a role that supports the dying and their families, and has been a practicing EOLD since 2016. Marne has collaborated with artists, choreographers, dancers, musicians, activist groups, sex workers, health care and LGBTQIA non-profits, and the public at large. www.marnelucas.com

by Dardinelle Troen/Vie Mort Doula. Seated meditation, 45 minutes.

Join us for an afternoon of guided meditation focused on cultivating mindfulness and awareness of our mortality. We will draw inspiration from Maranasati, or The Nine Contemplations of Death, a Buddhist meditation practice designed to help us confront and overcome our resistance to death and dying. The primary purpose of these practices is to face our own mortality, similar to traditional meditation, intended to enhance our appreciation for the richness of everyday life. Dardinelle Troen will guide participants through a meditation that explores the nine contemplations, incorporating visualizations that reflect on our role as future ancestors.
Dardinelle Troen is an artist, designer, and end-of-life doula based in Astoria, OR. Working at the intersection of art and death, her art explores our interdependence with the Earth and all living beings. Death is the natural outcome of life, and Troen’s art serves as a memento and a talisman. Each piece she creates is a personal meditation on impermanence and the brevity of our existence. Troen has participated in artist residencies in Wales, U.K. and The Atacama Desert in Chile to learn techniques in bio char soil remediation, which she applies to her sculptures. Dardinelle hosts monthly Death Cafes in Astoria, Oregon. www.viemort.com www.ditroen.com/

Drop in style collaborative altar, all materials are provided. Colesie creates symbolic Remembrance Altars using beautiful recycled materials for the public to add to and rework throughout the exhibition.

*Participants are invited to bring small photos, and mementos to honor their loved ones who have died. Tharp views play and joy as an integral part of one’s mental health and creativity, regardless of age, drawing from her previous career in childhood education.

A one hour workshop on writing one’s obituary is an illuminating exercise to learn about our own life and legacy. Materials: if preferred please bring a laptop (paper will be provided.) Writing your own obituary can be a powerful exercise in exploring who you are and what you want the world to know about your life. In this class we will explore what your legacy is and how to put it into words. We will discuss the different types of obituaries, and you will learn the basics of obituary writing.

Katherine Annala is a doctor of acupuncture in Portland Oregon. While her focus of study in the doctoral program was aging adults and women’s health, Katherine is also experienced in treating underserved populations challenged by substance use disorder and mental health concerns. She received a Coalition of Community Health Clinics “Community Health Superstar” award in 2019 for her work at the Outside In integrative medicine clinic. In addition to being a clinical supervisor at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM), she taught the case Management class and was the Associate Dean of Clinical Education at OCOM until its closure in August 2024. Dr. Annala studied art at PSU for her undergraduate degree and has a lifelong passion for fiber arts including costume creation and quilting.

Astoria Death Cafe brings together people of all ages to talk openly about death, dying, and what it means to be human as we face life’s biggest transition. These conversations are community-led. The group offers a welcoming space where everyone can feel supported, comforted, respected, and most of all, connected. Here, you can share your thoughts, fears, and experiences about death, grief, and the end of life in a safe and non-judgmental setting. The cafe also helps people find resources and information about end-of-life matters. In line with the Death Cafe’s mission, participation is free, but donations to help cover refreshments are welcome.

Dardinelle Troen is an artist, designer, and end-of-life doula based in Astoria, OR. Working at the intersection of art and death, her art explores our interdependence with the Earth and all living beings. Death is the natural outcome of life, and Troen’s art serves as a memento and a talisman. Each piece she creates is a personal meditation on impermanence and the brevity of our existence. Troen has participated in artist residencies in Wales, U.K. and The Atacama Desert in Chile to learn techniques in bio char soil remediation, which she applies to her sculptures. Dardinelle hosts monthly Death Cafes in Astoria, Oregon. www.viemort.com www.ditroen.com/

Kyle Fujisawa spent their adult life making their way up the West Coast—beginning in Los Angeles and landing in Astoria, OR, four years ago. They developed a deep curiosity about death and dying: not seeing death as an endpoint, but as a rich and complex human experience shaped by culture and spiritual beliefs. Their work with organizations Mercy For Animals, Animal Equality, and The Humane League exposed them to the profound suffering within the industrial farming system. Witnessing that reality firsthand left a lasting impression, deepening their sense of the fragility and sacredness of life. This led Kyle toward hospice volunteering, in California and now in Astoria, where they continue to support people at the end of life. Kyle finished Nursing school at Clatsop Community College, Spring 2026, and will start a career as a Hospice Nurse with Lower Columbia Hospice and Palliative Care.

The artists will be present 1-4pm on the the last day of the art exhibition. The gallery closes at 5pm.