Welcome

Many of us have found joy in celebrating the important milestones of our lives in personally meaningful ways. At Mourning Dove Studio we aim to bring this same creative energy to planning for life's final passage.

We offer products and services that will help you to think through issues, stay true to your values, and honor and commemorate life and loss.

There are three main ways in which we approach these goals:

-We work with artists (primarily locally) to produce one-of-a-kind-handmade caskets, urns, shrouds and other forms of mourning art. We connect you with people and resources that strengthen and support you.

-You can come to our art studio in Arlington, Massachusetts, during weekly drop-in art-making times, or for specific classes. Use our space for your own open-ended art creation, draw from the inspiration of others shared in our studio portfolio, or choose one of our more structured art projects to facilitate your personal artistic expression. We offer creative workshops and private consultations to support you in making your own memorial art.

-You are welcome to sit and peruse the many books and resources we have collected on death, dying and bereavement, as well as related topics such as oral history guides and workbooks for planning ahead. Our reading room is open during regular art studio drop-in times and by appointment, with a comfortable couch, chairs, and desk. Some books are also available for purchase.

Commonly-offered burial practices have a significant environmental impact and may not be meaningful to you, yet alternative choices are available. Review these practical issues with us, and think through what makes sense for you and your loved ones. We can help you find green funeral directors and cemeteries, and we offer eco-friendly products such as the Ecopod, an organically shaped biodegradable casket made of recycled paper, and the Somerset Willow casket, two new imports from the UK. You may want to consider a pine, plywood, or cardboard casket, painted by a local artist or embellished with art made by a group of your family and friends.

Home funerals are legal in Massachusetts and 42 other states and can be a natural way to honor the death of a loved one.

Our mission is to help you to take control of how you mark the milestones of life and death. Our products and services will assist you in personalizing final rites of passage and creating a conscious legacy of love.