Before I Die is a global art project inviting people to contemplate death and reflect on their lives. Yolo Hospice, YoloArts, and City of Woodland are collaborating to bring Before I Die to Woodland. The interactive public art wall will be installed on the Diggs Building on Main Street between First and College, in downtown Woodland. The wall will be up for April 6, and the public is invited to participate during the First Friday Art Walk.
“It’s very exciting to share this with our community,” says Louise Joyce, community relations manager at Yolo Hospice. “It’s a fun, engaging way to help people open up their thoughts about what is most important to them and what they want in their lives. It’s about exploring those ideas before we reach the end of our lives.”
Originally created by artist Candy Chang on an abandoned wall in New Orleans, Before I Die is a global art project that invites community participation. This public wall has been produced more than 2,000 times in 70 countries, and presented in 35 languages. The participatory art exhibit invites passers-by to complete the sentence, “Before I die, I want to…” by writing on the wall with chalk to contribute a heartfelt wish, a goal, or an intention.
“It is a privilege to collaborate with Yolo Hospice and the City of Woodland to bring Before I Die to downtown Woodland. The project provides a unique opportunity for the community to reflect individually and as a whole,” said Alison Flory, YoloArts executive director.
The wall will be presented in both English and Spanish and the project sponsors are grateful to local artist Kyle Monhollen for creating and installing the walls.
Wall monitors, both English and Spanish speakers, are needed. Volunteers can contact YoloArts by email at ya@yoloarts.org, or by calling 530-309-6464 to find out more about the project or to sign up.