The Mattatuck Museum, in collaboration with the Connecticut Death Collective and Riverside Cemetery, will host its inaugural Death & Dying Symposium on Saturday, April 25, from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. This day-long event invites the public to explore themes of mortality, legacy, and remembrance through presentations, workshops, and community experiences, while supporting a vital preservation effort.
Proceeds from the symposium will benefit the restoration of Riverside Cemetery’s historic chapel, which is in need of extensive renovations to ensure it can continue serving the community for generations to come.
The day begins at Riverside Cemetery with a guided morning tour and light breakfast from Sweet Bellas (8:00–9:30 AM), offering participants a reflective start. Programming then continues at the Mattatuck Museum from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, culminating in an evening gathering, Death Over Drafts, from 6:00–7:00 PM.
Bringing together a diverse group of presenters, practitioners, and educators, the symposium explores end-of-life planning, grief, cultural traditions, and emerging practices in death care. Attendees can participate in discussions on advance care planning, green burial options, hospice care, spiritual perspectives on death, and the evolving role of end-of-life doulas.
“Having worked in death care and hospice for several years, I saw firsthand how frightening end-of-life can feel for many people,” said Cheryl Guertin, Vice President and Sexton of Riverside Cemetery and a licensed funeral director and embalmer. “These experiences have largely been taken out of our hands, leaving many feeling removed, confused, or afraid to navigate something that is ultimately a shared and natural part of being human. This symposium is about bringing those conversations back into the open.”
Featured speakers include nationally recognized advocate Dan Diaz, licensed clinical social worker Rebecca Allen, hospice nurse and death guide Sarah Sparen, spiritual care practitioner Lori Ouellette, and author and speaker Chris Grosso, who will lead a meditation on impermanence.
A highlight of the day is the optional Victorian Hairwork Workshop led by jewelry artist and historian Karen Bachmann. This three-hour, hands-on experience explores the history and techniques of 19th-century mourning art, where participants will create intricate wirework designs inspired by traditional hairwork practices.
Additional programming includes experiential sessions such as Meditative Heartbeat Therapy with chaplain Daniel DeLoma and a qigong-based exploration of the life-death cycle with Judith Ehrman-Shapiro, along with presentations from organizations including Compassion & Choices, Hartford HealthCare Hospice, and Middlesex Health Hospice.
The symposium also features a curated marketplace of local vendors and community partners offering memorial art, spiritual goods, educational resources, and handcrafted items inspired by remembrance and the cycles of life.
Tickets:
• $30 General Admission
• $170 Combination Ticket (includes Victorian Hairwork Workshop; advance registration required)
Location:
Riverside Cemetery & Mattatuck Museum
Waterbury, CT
By bringing the community together for open, thoughtful dialogue, the Death & Dying Symposium aims to normalize conversations around mortality while preserving an important historic space.
For more information, the full schedule, and tickets, please visit www.mattmuseum.org/symposium
Location:
Riverside Cemetery & Mattatuck Museum
Waterbury, CT
4/25/26
CT Death and Dying Symposium
