OCALA, Fla. (March 25, 2021) – The City of Ocala in partnership with Hospice of Marion County announces the installation of interactive art project Before I Die Monday, April 12 at Tuscawilla Art Park, 213 NE Fifth Street in downtown Ocala. The exhibit will be on display through Monday, April 19. The park is open daily, sunrise to sunset.

As a part of National Healthcare Decision Day, volunteers from Hospice of Marion County will be on-site Friday, April 16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to facilitate conversations about mortality and adding meaning to our daily lives.

Before I Die, created by artist Candy Chang, reimagines how the walls of our cities can help us grapple with mortality and meaning as a community today. After the death of someone she loved, Chang painted an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighborhood with chalkboard paint and stenciled the prompt, “Before I die I want to ___,” to restore perspective and find consolation with her neighbors. Anyone walking by could pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on death and life, and share their personal aspirations in public.

Thanks to passionate people around the world, over 5,000 Before I Die walls have now been created by communities in over 75 countries, including Iraq, China, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and South Africa. A memento mori for the modern age, the installation reimagines our relationship with death and with one another in the public realm.

Citizens are encouraged to visit the installation and share their personal hopes and ambitions, while enjoying the tranquility of the Tuscawilla Art Park. Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings, maintain proper social distancing and frequently sanitize their hands. 

For more information about this exhibit, please contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Office at 352-629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.org; or visit www.ocalafl.org/culturalarts. To learn more about the Before I Die global project, visit www.beforeidieproject.com.     

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City Events

All advertised city events are scheduled to take place, as planned.  However, the final disposition of these events will be evaluated, based on guidance from local health department officials and current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.  As such, all city events are subject to postponement or cancellation based on the current recommendations and guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Events that do take place as scheduled will be implemented with health and safety protocols in place.  Visitors choosing to participate are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines for face coverings and social distancing.