A Picture is worth a thousand words'. It's an old maxim, but it certainly rang true at a recent an event called Dialogue on Death and Dying.

Susan Millar – Local Journalism Initiative

The program kicked off with an art show at Century House with an exceptional exhibit of works by local artists.

MaryAnn Becher of Century House Association, Mayor Patrick Johnstone and Michael Scales, of the New West Hospice Society all spoke to the crowd.

Ten artists were selected from the many local artists who submitted artworks - all from New Westminster. The adjudicating panel included three high profile artists prominent in our city and beyond. There were: Judy Villett, textile artist and art educator; Trudy Van Dop of Van Dop Galleries and founder of the local culture crawl; Susan Greig, artist and founder of the largest artist studio outside of Vancouver.

At the event, each winning art piece was showcased, the artists' statements read, and the artists spoke further of the meaning of their work, what they conveyed; and their often strong emotional feelings about it.

There were a diverse group of pieces, including photographs; collages, paintings – indigenous, abstract, representational and mystical. Some of the ones that stood out for me, were large mystical paintings based on Greek mythology; fascinating depictions of crows; collages – one depicting the addictions that kill people; another indicating our temporary existence on the earth; and photos including one of 6 trees in a line, with a space where one no longer was – indicating the recent loss of a brother among the artist's siblings.