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Presentation Type

Open Access Poster Presentation

Abstract

Starting as a participatory mural in New Orleans, Candy Chang’s Before I Die project has been recreated in over 75 countries. Inspired by her work, the purpose of this project was to encourage students to reflect on mortality and life aspirations publicly. A temporary mural on a college campus was built as part of an honors gerontology class, Families and End-of-Life Issues to encourage interactive reflections about mortality. The mural was up for one week, each side was stenciled with “Before I Die, I Want To ___” and blank white lines for the public to fill in their aspirations with chalk. For one week, students and community members were encouraged to interact with the mural. The spaces were erased each morning to make room for new answers. The 651 responses were recorded and analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s approach indicated five themes: 1) Personal Fulfillment, 2) Experiential Goals, 3) Contributing/Legacy to Others, 4) Relationships and Connection, and 5) Religious Affiliations. Examples from the Personal Fulfillment theme included “holding no grudges,” “living a full life” and “finding peace within myself.” This wall encouraged important reflections about discussions on aging and mortality and is a great initiative for educators on other campuses to consider to help destigmatize end of life conversations. Tips for recreating a Before I Die wall on other college campuses will be shared, including what materials were used and how to encourage buy-in from administrators concerned about showcasing the wall and its potential for sensitive content.

Start Date

13-4-2026 12:00 PM

End Date

13-4-2026 12:50 PM

Faculty Advisor

Melinda Heinz

Department

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Department

Department of Psychology

Student Type

Undergraduate Student

Comments

Award: Intercollegiate Academic Fund (IAF)

File Format

application/pdf

File Size

538 KB

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Apr 13th, 12:00 PM Apr 13th, 12:50 PM

Conversations on the Wall: Using Public Art to Destigmatize Discussions of Death

Starting as a participatory mural in New Orleans, Candy Chang’s Before I Die project has been recreated in over 75 countries. Inspired by her work, the purpose of this project was to encourage students to reflect on mortality and life aspirations publicly. A temporary mural on a college campus was built as part of an honors gerontology class, Families and End-of-Life Issues to encourage interactive reflections about mortality. The mural was up for one week, each side was stenciled with “Before I Die, I Want To ___” and blank white lines for the public to fill in their aspirations with chalk. For one week, students and community members were encouraged to interact with the mural. The spaces were erased each morning to make room for new answers. The 651 responses were recorded and analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s approach indicated five themes: 1) Personal Fulfillment, 2) Experiential Goals, 3) Contributing/Legacy to Others, 4) Relationships and Connection, and 5) Religious Affiliations. Examples from the Personal Fulfillment theme included “holding no grudges,” “living a full life” and “finding peace within myself.” This wall encouraged important reflections about discussions on aging and mortality and is a great initiative for educators on other campuses to consider to help destigmatize end of life conversations. Tips for recreating a Before I Die wall on other college campuses will be shared, including what materials were used and how to encourage buy-in from administrators concerned about showcasing the wall and its potential for sensitive content.