Mourning Dove Studio LLC

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, honor and commemorate life and loss.

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

•We sell products such as caskets made out of pine, willow, recycled paper, or cardboard, as well as urns and shrouds.  Some caskets have been painted by local artists and you can use our studio to paint a casket yourself.  You do not have to be an experienced artist to express yourself in this loving way.

•You can come to our art studio in Arlington, Massachusetts, during weekly drop-in art-making times, or for specific classes.  Make art as a memorial tribute, or part of a legacy to leave.   Use our space for your own open-ended art creation, draw from the inspiration of art made by others, or choose one of our more structured art projects to facilitate your personal artistic expression.  We offer creative workshops and private consultations.  A writing group meets weekly at the studio (see our Services page).  

•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.   We can help connect you with people and resources that strengthen and support you. Some books are also available for purchase.   Our reading room is open, free of charge, during regular art studio drop-in times and by appointment, with a comfortable couch, chairs, and desk.  (We are not affiliated with any religious organization).  

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.  

Home funerals are legal in Massachusetts and 44 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, including keeping our legacy to the earth in mind.