Drawn from the Museum’s collection and select loans, this small exhibition features two paintings, three prints, and one sculpture by artists responding directly to the recent death of a beloved child, spouse, sibling, or friend.

In an outpouring of grief, intermingled with feelings of anger, sadness, or guilt, these artists were able to transmute their personal tragedy into a profound visual expression of great power and sometimes beauty.

The exhibition, which will be on view for a year, examines the power of art to channel extreme loss and provides the community with a meaningful tool for self-reflection and learning.

During the run of the exhibition, third-year students at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine will visit to participate in a program designed by their faculty in tandem with Reynolda House education staff.

The program, intended to assist young doctors in empathetic professional practice, will address palliative care and end-of-life issues as well as sensitive ways of communicating with survivors, all of which can be uncomfortable topics for physicians in training. Other programming for the general public will explore different facets of handling grief and sadness.