Immortal Icons Tour October 17 & 24 at Lone Fir Cemetery

Have you ever wandered through a cemetery and wondered about the meanings attached to the symbols, plants, and animals carved on grave markers? Are you curious about the lives long past that are buried under the stones? Join us this October for an art-and-storytelling event in the famed Lone Fir Cemetery where we will walk the grounds, learn the visual language of funerary icons, hear stories of a few notable “residents” from the 1800s, and make collectible works of art as a keepsake of our encounters with the departed. 

Guests will complete one unique “Passport to the Beyond” filled with hand-stamped art prints and create All Hallows’ Eve postcards to send to their most spirited friends. No prior art experience required. All materials supplied. Event held rain or shine. We hope to summon you there!

What to know: 

The tour will follow the paved roads within the cemetery at a leisurely pace. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella in case of inclement weather.  No refreshments are available during the tour, but the neighborhood has a number of wonderful restaurants and cafes that we are happy to recommend for before or after the event.  We will be sure to respect the dead and any living relatives by leaving the headstones untouched. Please plan on parking at the entrance to Lone Fir and meeting in front of the large Mausoleum (instructions will be provided to ticket holders via email). If you need special accommodations, please reach out to your hosts so that we can make sure you are included.

About your hosts:

Aronne Barnes and Naomi Graham are two Portland-based artists inspired by the beauty, history, and meaning found in historic cemeteries who love to share their work with like-minded graveyard fans.

Naomi Graham is a multidisciplinary artist and historical researcher. Inspired by the craftsmanship of the early Pacific Northwest stonecutters, she catalogs Victorian pioneer headstone motifs through original hand-carved relief prints.

Find out more about her work on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/memento.koumori/

Aronne Barnes is the creator of Pioneer Spirit Oracle, an on-going project based on the famed Lone Fir Cemetery using historical fiction, hand-drawn illustrations, and metaphysical intuition to connect Portland's past and present.

Find out more about her work on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pioneer_spirit_oracle/

Read her historical fiction on Substack https://substack.com/@aronnebarnes