Dead Good Artists exhibition gives new life to local artwork
During January-April 2025, Pilgrims Hospices collaborated with The Wooden Box Gallery in Ramsgate to develop Dead Good Artists, an exhibition of artwork by people who have died, and the stories behind it.
This was part of Pilgrims’ Compassionate Communities project, working with local communities to encourage more open discussions about death, dying, loss and grief.
People often leave their creative work behind when they die. These legacies can bring comfort and joy to their loved ones. For others, the responsibility of taking care of these memories may not be so easy.
Dead Good Artists invited anyone who has become a custodian of a loved one’s artwork to share it for inclusion in a gallery setting, giving it new life. It offered an opportunity to honour and share these personal creations, recognising the individuals behind them – those who are no longer with us.
Exhibitors were invited to attend one of two workshops facilitated by Pilgrims team members, where together they were encouraged to reflect on the profound responsibility of becoming the custodian of someone’s artistic legacy, exploring both the joys and challenges of preserving and carrying forward their creative spirit.
Mark and Jacky Ogilvie from Ashford submitted work by their daughter, Elspeth, who was cared for at Pilgrims Hospice Ashford and died in December 2024.
They said: “As Elspeth died very recently, this exhibition is helping us with grieving her loss. The simple acts of writing a short bio, choosing a photo, selecting and mounting her work, and taking it into the gallery, have been emotionally challenging. But it also feels helpful.
“Elspeth enjoyed participating in Time to Create therapeutic art groups at the Ashford hospice. She never thought her work was “good enough”, so it’s lovely to see it exhibited in the company of others’, and to hear that people are interested. It’s been so nice doing something positive in Elspeth’s memory; this is part of her legacy.”
Another exhibitor said:
“When I saw the callout for the exhibition, I immediately knew that I’d like to submit a piece of my grandfather’s art. He constantly drew and created out of nothing; he’d use the back of a cornflakes box or whatever was laying in the kitchen, and a real mix of media, to create these intricate pieces. It wasn’t as though he could earn his living through art, and it actually means quite a lot to the whole family that it’s now hanging on a gallery wall.”
Visitors enjoyed the exhibition, too: “Very moving. I would like to see this theme return; the accompanying texts are lovely and help the work to come alive.”
Some of the artwork featured in the exhibition
Rebekah Sunshine, owner of The Wooden Box Gallery, added:
“I knew it was something that was really needed, but I didn’t quite realise how it was going to impact people. It’s been amazing and moving. It was lovely to work with so many different people, hearing their family’s stories and bringing their loved ones back into our reality to talk about them. I’m so happy that lots of family members had the opportunity to have their loved ones’ artwork on the wall, especially as they may not have done that when they were alive – it’s a really proud moment for them. Pilgrims has been so supportive, especially with organising and facilitating the workshops for our exhibitors.”
Sophie Van Walwyk, Compassionate Communities lead at Pilgrims Hospices, said:
“The Dead Good Artists exhibition was such a wonderful way to celebrate the lives and works of so many talented individuals, who are sadly no longer with us. To help support exhibitors through their ongoing grief journey, Pilgrims created a safe space that encouraged reflection on both the beauty and burden of custodianship together. Learning more about the impact of both the artist’s life and death brought a deeper level of meaning to each piece of art.”
To find out more about Pilgrims Compassionate Communities work, or if you would like to become involved in creating a compassionate community in east Kent, please visit pilgrimshospices.org/compassionate-communities.
