What:
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will feature an exhibit for the Halloween season on New England gravestones. On display will be gravestone rubbings created with foil and on paper by Judith Trainor. In her work, Trainor captures the imagery of death, including skulls, skeletons, hourglasses, winged cherubs, birds, and flowers. The rubbings are done with light-weight foil to show the depth of carving and design detail. Trainor has taken this form of gravestone rubbing in new directions by using a variety of foils, finishes, rubbing techniques, and framing methods, and she has applied them to different types of gravestones. Most of the impressions were done in the early cemeteries of Massachusetts, but there are some from other New England states and New York. Through her work, Trainor strives to interest people in exploring and preserving local burial grounds.
Who:
Judith Trainor serves as treasurer and trustee of the Association for Gravestone Studies, based in Greenfield. Mass. She teaches workshops on gravestone rubbing and has lectured on gravestone-related topics for the association. She is WPI’s director of budget and planning.
When:
Oct. 22 to Dec. 18, 2009. Library hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 1 a.m.
A public reception will be held Thursday, Oct. 29, 4-6 p.m.
Where:
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Gordon Library, Class of ’41 Gallery, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Mass.
