Equinox Vigil

Creating sacred spaces for communities to honour life’s transitions with compassion, creativity, and inclusivity

Sharon’s Journey and Inspiration

Sharon has an artist’s eye, an activist’s energy, a collaborator’s zeal, enough conviction and confidence to believe anything is possible, and enough humility to know that it takes a whole village to host a vigil.

This event has been unfolding since 2006, when she was inspired by a presentation by Paula Jardine at the Victoria Arts and Activism Symposium. Paula spoke about her role as artist-in-residence at the Vancouver Mountainview cemetery, and was immediately motivated to bring a similar event to Calgary. In 2010, she mentored with Paula and her collaborator, Marina Szijarto, in Vancouver. Two years later, in 2012, Sharon developed the Equinox Vigil for Calgary.

“This work is deeply personal to me. I conduct it in my father’s name. I had the profound privilege of being with him — alongside my mother — when he drew his final breath, in their family home, in their wedding bed, which became his deathbed. Witnessing his passing, just as he had witnessed my first breath at birth, changed me forever. It revealed to me the sacred reciprocity at the edges of life.”- Sharon Stevens

The Equinox Vigil project has contributed to the revival of the urban cemetery’s role in the life of an increasingly secular and multicultural community. It offers a space where people of all backgrounds can gather to remember, honour, and reflect.

I firmly believe the power of our community comes from breathing the same air as our neighbours. In community we require ritual. I go to a lot of funerals, and one thing I have learned is the sense of what it means to be a community. Events like this one capture that sense, that feeling, and make it special.

– Mayor Naheed Nenshi

“People don’t know that they want to visit old graveyards like Calgary’s Union Cemetery.
Sharon Stevens shows them that they do.”

– Harry Sanders, historian

Digital Shrine

The Digital Shrine creates a poignant interactive artwork where people can honour the memory of their ancestors and departed loved ones. The mobile installation consists of a specially designed shrine where the public may write tributes and messages with pen and paper – words they wish they’d said, heartfelt thoughts they carry with them, or simply the names of the dead.

The tributes are entered into a software program on a laptop and this text is projected onto a screen, scrolls slowly and is visible to the public. The words light up the night sky like credits at the end of a film only and people wait to watch them scroll by.

We are inspired by each other’s words, and sharing our thoughts amplifies the presence of the dead in our thoughts and hearts.

 

AFTERwords: Condolence and Tribute Writing with Sharon Stevens

When someone we care about is grieving, finding the right words can feel overwhelming. AFTERwords is an artist-led workshop designed to create a supportive and inspiring space for participants to craft meaningful condolence cards.

This presentation/gathering is an invitation to reflect on grief, mourning, and endings—universal experiences that can be difficult to express. While not a counseling session, the communal nature fosters healing conversations as participants engage in creative writing and art-making.

Participants will have the opportunity to create at least one condolence card. 

An altar will also be available to honour loved ones by adding their names—a symbolic and tender way to acknowledge the emotions that arise when discussing loss.

All supplies will be provided, and the altar will be available throughout the workshop offering a quiet space for reflection and creativity. Whether you’re supporting a grieving friend or seeking to process your own loss, this will provide a sanctuary for meaningful connection and expression.

I believe artists have a sacred responsibility to provide a beautiful sanctuary for the public to be welcomed into something we all experience but often don’t know how to express and that is – grief, mourning, and endings.

A Shrine to remember our Dead

Everyone is invited to contribute—by adding words, messages, or names of loved ones who have passed. You may also share thoughts you wish you could still express or regrets you may hold. Paper, pens, and art supplies are available for creating your messages.

These messages will remain private; they will not be read. Instead, they will be gathered and respectfully burned offsite in a closing ritual. Through this mingling of thoughts, words, and energies, we are building a powerful sense of community here today.

Setup design and supplies provided.

Hire Me for Your Next Event, Seminar, Presentation, or Memorial

I create sacred spaces for communities to honour life’s transitions with compassion, creativity, and inclusivity — helping people connect, remember, and BE together.

With over 30 years of experience in designing and hosting sacred, participatory spaces, I am here to help you craft a sanctuary tailored to your memorializing and ceremonial needs.
Whether you’re planning an intimate gathering, a large event, or a reflective ceremony, I work closely with you to create a setting that honours, inspires, and connects.

Through ceremony, reflection, and community gathering, I weave sanctuaries that hold grief and celebration side by side.
Rooted in the ancient rhythms of life and death, my work invites all people — of every path and tradition — to step into shared moments of remembrance, meaning, and belonging.
In a world longing for connection, I offer spaces where we can gather, pause, and remember the stories that shape our lives.

Artist fee negotiable with CARFAC rates as a guide.

Let’s create something truly meaningful together.

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