The following announcement was provided by the Mount Auburn Cemetery:
Mount Auburn Cemetery announced today that tickets are now on sale for this year’s SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter Light event, created by MASARY Studios. The annual event at the active cemetery and historic urban green space takes guests on an outdoor journey through large-scale light and sound artworks and an indoor experience with live music and candle lighting. The event starts on December 10 and will run through December 21, 2022, at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Designed to evoke awe and contemplation, the exhibit invites guests to walk through the light-filled landscape and chapels, explore the winter solstice atmosphere, and reflect on moments of change as the year ends and a new cycle begins. The SOLSTICE installation intertwines with Mount Auburn Cemetery’s landscape of exceptional beauty, inviting guests to commemorate the memory of a loved one, consider the past year, and contemplate the year ahead.
“For nearly two centuries, Mount Auburn Cemetery has been an extraordinary place where experimentation, solace, and inspiration come to life among our departed,” said Matthew Stephens, President and CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery. “This year’s SOLSTICE event captures just that – giving people a chance to reflect on peace, hope, and inspiration through a new light.”
The creative minds behind the project, MASARY Studios, are a team of artists who create original works in natural and urban environments through site-specific installations using sound, light, interactivity, and performance. Commissioned by Mount Auburn Cemetery, the event will immerse people in a cosmic experience that will instill a deep connection with the self and the natural world in a historic and sacred place of remembrance that mourns the past and celebrates life.
“As a team that uses light as an artform, we’re always considering the relationship between darkness and illumination – in all their meanings,” said Sam Okerstrom-Lang, Co-Founder and Principal of MASARY Studios. “When the Mount Auburn team approached us for a project about the year’s shortest days and longest nights, it was a natural fit. SOLSTICE is our invitation to slow down, have a thought-filled experience, reflect on the year past, and respect the cyclical nature of time. It’s our hope that the sound, light, and experience of SOLSTICE brings visitors more layers of beauty, meaning, and resonance in this extraordinary place.”
Whether alone or in a group, visitors of all ages can now purchase tickets to experience this unique event at the 175-acre National Historic Landmark and urban oasis. The event features three large light and sound installations, illuminated walking paths, a candle-lighting ceremony, and live musicians, as well as food, drinks, and merchandise for sale.
Mount Auburn Cemetery will host “SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter Light” from Saturday, December 10, through Wednesday, December 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m each night. Entries will be timed, beginning at 5 p.m. and continuing every half-hour after that (e.g., 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m., etc.). Tickets are $30 for adults ($15 for Mount Auburn Cemetery members), $5 for youth (ages 6-12), and free for children (ages 5 and under). For tickets and more information, visit www.mountauburnsolstice.org
About Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was established in 1831 with a most ambitious vision. Within a forested landscape nestled between Cambridge and Watertown, our founders created an extraordinary place, one where the living mourner would come to find solace and the public would come to find inspiration.
About MASARY Studios
MASARY Studios is a Boston-based transdisciplinary media arts studio creating artworks through research, inquiry and expression. MASARY artists take inspiration from places and environments, embedding concepts and fresh techniques into intentional awe-inducing artwork. masarystudios.com / @masary_studios
The founders envisioned the Cemetery as the place where the great and the good of Boston — without restrictions on religion or race — would be remembered and celebrated for all of time in a setting of exceptional beauty. Nearly 190 years and more than 100,000 burials later, we continue to honor that founding vision, offering burial space and end-of-life services to families in their time of need and preserving this landscape of memory for 200,000 annual visitors. For more information, visit www.mountauburn.org