November 2022: Elizabeth Shupe

Elizabeth Shupe ‘s art is created with a varity materials: acrylic, oil, watercolor, mineral pigment, glitter, and resin. Her theme for this show is her interpretation of funerary art.  Elizabeth explains “Death is a sensitive topic, and as a professional in the death industry, I know that intimately. I am an artist by passion, but in my work life I am a headstone designer. 

I decided to concentrate on the mourning culture that would have been familiar to my own ancestors. I also wanted to explore where we lost the thread of mourning culture among the chaos of modern life- this landed me squarely in the Victorian period, the most recent time period that white Anglo-American people such as myself practiced a strong mourning culture. I hope that this body of work begins a dialogue with people of all heritages, religious affiliations, and walks of life. If we all look to our past, together we can create a truly modern American mourning culture for the future, a mourning culture that can help to bring closure and dignity to our late-capitalist lives. Shop Elizabeth