My colleague forwarded me an interesting article (Wheat Ridge cemetery seeks to liven up with art, concerts) about a cemetery in Denver that is thinking outside of the box to bring visitors onto its grounds. At Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery, events are planned that will transform the cemetery into an art gallery, a floral display, and even a wedding site. As the article mentions:
Cemeteries across the country are increasingly broadening their attractions beyond disposal of bodies to draw people past the wrought-iron gates.I feel that this is a complex situation. For far too long, cemeteries have been neglected, religious and secular. Abandoned cemeteries are scattered throughout the world. So on the surface, anything that will bring people into a cemetery should be a good thing. There is a lot to learn in a cemetery, and it is worthwhile to visit one every so often, especially if one is visiting the graves of their ancestors.
However, a cemetery is a solemn place. While I believe it is appropriate to have discussions or displays in a cemetery office, turning the cemetery proper into a gallery would be crossing a line. It's essential that when visiting a cemetery and walking through the rows of graves, one's focus should be on the buried below. Once the graves become the under card to the main event, then we do a disservice not only to those buried but to ourselves.
As a society we need to remember and embrace the cemeteries of yesteryear. But we should not do so at the expense of the sacredness of the ground.
