Lundgren Monuments
Greg Lundgren | |
|---|---|
| Born | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Artist, author, filmmaker, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of Museum of Museums; Vital 5 Productions; Lundgren Monuments; The Order of the Good Death |
| Notable work | The Vital 5 Cookbook, Greenview Cemetery, Maybe Death is Like a Light, film CHAT |
Greg Lundgren is an artist, author, filmmaker, and entrepreneur based in Seattle.
Museum of Museums
Lundgren is the founder of Museum of Museums, a contemporary art venue located in Seattle, Washington.
Vital 5 Productions
Vital 5 Productions served as Lundgren’s solo arts initiative, through which he received a Genius Award in 2003. The organization was responsible for producing exhibitions, publications, and grant programs. In 2007, an eight-week retrospective exhibition titled "Straight to Video: the first 10 years of Vital 5" was held at the 911 Media Arts Center to showcase its work.
Lundgren wrote The Vital 5 Cookbook (2006), which presented "recipes" for curating exhibitions and encouraging personal artistic expression. The title is a nod to The Anarchist Cookbook.
In 2009, he initiated the Arbitrary Art Grants through Vital 5, providing $500 awards to local artists with the goal of fostering large-scale collaborative projects and performances.
By 2015, Vital 5 transformed the third floor of Seattle’s historic King Street Station into a 22,000-square-foot contemporary art space. This venue hosted Out of Sight, a Pacific Northwest contemporary art survey coordinated with the Seattle Art Fair. In March 2016, it introduced Giant Steps - a 48 Hour Artist Residency on the Moon, a group exhibition and competitive event. The second edition of Out of Sight commenced in August 2016.
Lundgren Monuments
Established in 2004, Lundgren Monuments has operated a "death boutique" showroom on Seattle’s First Hill since 2008, showcasing works by artists such as Jesse Edwards and Michael Leavitt. Lundgren is credited with elevating art and design within the death care sector, contributing to a revival of funerary arts in contemporary America.
The firm focuses on creating large-scale cast glass monuments designed to bring color, illumination, and variety to cemetery environments. Additionally, they produce modern urn designs and curate exhibitions that highlight innovative approaches and alternatives in death care.
A significant 2010 exhibition was the first to approach cremation urns from an architectural perspective. Among notable collaborations is The Final Turn, an urn/artwork developed with architect Tom Kundig, which has been featured in publications like Robb Report and The New York Times, as well as displayed at Cooper-Hewitt’s National Design Awards gallery.
The Order of the Good Death
Lundgren played a key role in establishing The Order of the Good Death, collaborating with mortician Caitlin Doughty, TED presenter Jae Rhim Lee, and Jeff Jorgenson, who directs an alternative funeral home. This collective advocates for innovative approaches to death care, helping to position Seattle as a pioneer in this developing field.
Awards
- The Stranger's Genius Award (Organization), 2003
Books and film
- Books
Lundgren has written three books, including two aimed at children and one focused on creative processes:
- The Vital 5 Cookbook: Recipes for the Contemporary Artist, Curator & Troublemaker (2006)
- Greenview Cemetery (2012)
- Maybe Death is Like a Light (2012)
- Film
His full-length film CHAT, filmed in a single continuous shot and featuring Rosalie Edholm as a camgirl sex worker, was showcased at the Northwest Film Forum in July 2014 and later at Seattle's Local Sightings Film Festival in September 2014.