The Art of Unburdening
The Art of Unburdening is back for the 2026-2027 season!
Art-making and healing for caregivers, THOSE PROCESSING GRIEF, and their communities
Caregiving is an act of deep love—but it can also be isolating, exhausting, and emotionally overwhelming. Especially for caregivers of individuals with dementia, the daily weight of responsibility can feel both relentless and invisible to others. In a similar way, navigating the grief of losing a loved one is a process people often feel obligated to minimize or hide. The Art of Unburdening is a workshop series where you can set your weight down, express yourself creatively, and connect with others on a similar journey.
A series of stand-alone workshops in ART, MUSIC, WRITING, AND MORE
The Art of Unburdening is a creative workshop series that offers current and former caregivers, and anyone processing grief, the opportunity to reconnect with themselves and others through the healing act of making art.
We’re grateful to be working alongside community partners including Alive and We Remember You caregiver support as we continue expanding this work, with First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro and Trellis & Vine Art Gallery & Studios providing workshop space. At First United Methodist, adult day care with Mindful Care is available with pre-arrangement.
Last year, we welcomed 44 caregivers across seven free workshops, culminating in a community showcase that reached 137 people in person and more than 1,200 virtually.
This year, we’re excited to grow the program even further with eight workshops offered across two locations in Murfreesboro and Smyrna, along with a few virtual workshops to make participation more accessible. We’re also exploring monthly virtual meetups to help caregivers stay connected with one another between sessions.
Fall Schedule
No experience is necessary for any workshop! Our fall schedule includes:
Cyanotypes
Virtual Meetup for Caregivers
Connecting Through Rhythm and Breath
Check back for one more virtual creative workshop we hope to schedule this fall, and for winter/spring dates!
Use the button below to register for a workshop, or to be added to our email list.
Connect with the Art of Unburdening at @artofunburdening on Instagram or Facebook.
LOOKING BACK
The 2025-2026 Art of Unburdening concluded with a showcase produced by the Bloom Stage.
Funded in part by an Arts Build Communities (ABC) grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, this series was a partnership of the Rutherford Arta Alliance with We Remember You, Bloom Stage, and Poetry in the Boro.
Use this Google form to register for a workshop or get on our email list for future dates.
Learn more about the Art of Unburdening in this press release here on our website.
our 2025-26 workshop leaders INCLUDED
Kara Kemp (storytelling workshop) served as the 2023–24 Murfreesboro Performing Arts Laureate and is creator of United We Style, a nationally recognized storytelling fundraiser. With over 30 years of experience in the arts and nonprofit sectors, Kara specializes in crafting experiences that foster emotional connection, authenticity, and community healing. She co-produces Bloom Stage, a multi-genre storytelling series that uplifts diverse voices and encourages personal narrative as a form of transformation. Known for creating brave, inclusive spaces, Kara’s work blends creativity and care across disciplines.
Liz Johnson amd Dave Isaacs (music and breath workshop)
Liz Johnson, MM, is a PAVA Recognized Vocologist (PAVA-RV) and voice teacher based in Nashville, TN. She practices voice habilitation with people from all over the world, and blends her training in psychology, jazz, and voice science to offer clients a balanced and holistic approach to vocal health. Liz is also a certified breathwork coach through Oxygen Advantage, and has a certificate in Neuroscience for Singing from the Voice Study Centre in London.
A Nashville resident since 2005, Dave Isaacs has become best known as a music educator and the "guitar guru of Music Row" through his studio Nashville Guitar Guru and his many online guitar courses. His 2019 book “The Perpetual Beginner: a musician’s path to lifelong learning” was acclaimed by Publishers Weekly as “a delightful blend of memoir and music instruction”.
LeeAnn Love (visual art workshops) is a professional artist and expressive arts therapist whose mixed media work explores movement, color, and impermanence. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, with shows at Out of the Blue Gallery (Cambridge, MA), ClearStory Arts (Chattanooga), and Gallery27 (Scotland). She was Artist in Residence for Williamson County Schools and has completed multiple public mural projects.
She earned her master’s in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University and has since founded both Heal with heART, her private counseling practice, and MyCanvas, a mobile art therapy initiative for at-risk youth. LeeAnn currently supervises new art therapists and consults with the Healing Arts Project Inc. (HAPI), providing workshops for adults in recovery. She divides her time between Nashville, TN and East Lothian, Scotland.
Julie Sumner (poetry workshop) is a writer who has worked as a critical care nurse, liver transplant coordinator, and massage therapist. She now teaches creative writing, focusing on reading poetry and writing as ways to develop resilience, particularly for healthcare workers and people with chronic illnesses. Her poems appear in many literary magazines and anthologies. In 2023, her collection Meridian was selected by poet Jane Hirshfield for publication by Wildhouse Publishing.
A celebrated choreographer, dancer, and storyteller, Mark Lamb (storytelling and movement workshop) blends movement and narrative with heartfelt artistry. Praised by The New York Times for his “quietly celebratory” work, he has shared his powerful stories on The Moth Radio Hour and PBS's Stories from the Stage. His storytelling excellence was recognized when he won the National Storytelling Festival with his tribute story to Dolly Parton.
Use this Google form to be added to our workshop email list!
This project made possible by
Banner image credit unsplash.com/@kit
