- 19
- Episodes
- 5
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2026
- First episode
About Artifacts of Grief
Grief is a fundamental part of being human. Not an easy one, but an inevitable one. Artifacts of Grief is an intentional space of grief sharing. The objects around us are imbued with grief stories. They are tangible vessels of grief. Each episode begins with an object—an artifact of grief—that serves as a conduit to the grief story being shared. By bringing the artifact into the physical space, grief becomes visible, something that can be felt, observed, held, both corporeally and emotionally. In sharing individual griefs, we honour both the singularity and shared threads of grief. We welcome the reality of this messy, complex, ongoing process through an invitation to witness. In sharing our stories of the griefs we live with, and the artifacts that represent them, we challenge the individualization of grief; instead, we understand grief as an experience that reveals the beauty and necessity of connection. Each artifact and each story weaves its thread into the collective grief gallery cultivated by Artifacts of Grief. Hosted by Kylie Burton and Elliott Kuss. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
- Publisher
- Snack Labs
- Category
- society & culture · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- Yes
- First episode
- 27 Jun 2026
- Latest episode
- 22 Oct 2026
Latest episodes
19 episodes in the feed.
22 Oct 2026
How To Sit In the Stickiness Of Sorrow
Nadine shares the story of grieving her changing relationship with her son. Nadine became a mom at a young age and this shifted her identity and priorities. For much of her life, it was her and her son against the world. Now, as an adult with his own independent identity and life, Nadine reflects on the sadness she feels at what has changed, even as she loves who he is and what they have together now. Nadine offers space to consider what it means to sit in the sticky discomfort of grief over shifting relationships and identities, as well as how to get curious about our own feelings and ways of processing grief. Storytelling has always been important to Nadine Hunt (she/her). She started out writing for only herself and not sharing with the public. From there she started doing stand up and sharing all the funny sides to her stories. Once that no longer felt like enough for Nadine, she began telling the other side of her stories (the more complete side) at the Edmonton Story Slam. It was only a matter of time before she wanted to put visuals to her words and that's when Nadine started dabbling in film. Nadine is very new to this medium, but she is very excited to see what she comes up with next. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
15 Oct 2026
Photography As Proof Of Loss
Haley shares the story of her camera: a Nikon D810 with a 35mm lens. The camera represents so many forms of grief, both specific to Haley and representative to the way photography calls grief forward. Haley speaks to the beautiful invitation that a photograph offers: to reflect on what has changed, what has been lost. Haley MacPhee (they/them) is a queer artist hailing from Unama’ki/Cape Breton. With a BFA, Major in Photography from NSCAD, they have been a freelance photographer for 20 years. Having grown up in a family of artists, they live daily in deep rooted inspiration from a rural upbringing, with a special interest for portraiture and studying the soft Eastern light found in the coastal areas around Mi’kma’ki. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
8 Oct 2026
Building A Raft Through The Tidal Wave Of Absence
William shares the story of the loss of his Aunty Jo and the ways in which experiencing three concurrent losses shifted his understanding of himself and his emotions. He speaks of the grief of absence, both before and after death, and what it means to stop building dams and start building rafts. William Latham (he/him) is a kiwi living on treaty 6 land. On his right hand, just past the last phalange of his middle finger, sits a long-callused burl of hard flesh against which a pen, for the last fifteen years, has been pressed, supporting a sometimes heavy and sometimes puttering stream of words about cinema, philosophy, and literature. With the same hand he sometimes scoops popcorn at the Metro Cinema. You can connect with William on his Letterboxd (https://letterboxd.com/ezrausername/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/william_ezra_latham/) accounts. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
1 Oct 2026
Unexpected Loss and the Winding Path Out of the Dark
Hannah shares the story of her grief process, following the unexpected death of her three closest friends at age nineteen. She speaks to the ways in which grief does not wait for us to be ready and how finding the tools to actively work through grief can be a decades long process. Hannah Robertson (she/her) is a 36-year-old art and design lover, originally from Calgary. Now based in Vancouver, BC, she works as a project manager in the fine arts industry and shares her life with her wife and their two dogs. Outside of work, she loves good food, creative projects, and spending time by the ocean or in the forest. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
24 Sept 2026
Everything Is Ephemeral
Heather shares the story of deciding to end her business: the Edmonton video rental store The Videodrome. Heather speaks to the difficulty of processing the loss of that which she hoped would be forever and the beauty that exists in ephemerality. Heather (she/her/they/them) was raised by herding dogs, children's literature, and early 90s television on the farthest edge of Atlantic Canada. Her adult life has been guided by a deep passion for cinema and community-building; from working in video stores, to supporting independent film production at a non-profit arts centre, and now in her current role as the film programmer at Metro Cinema. Her special interests include analogue photography, intentional parenting, and hunting for hidden gems in niche musical genres. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
17 Sept 2026
Holding Joy Without Clutching On
Rachel shares the story of a difficult choice and pregnancy loss. Rachel speaks to her embodied grief and the difficulty of providing external articulation to these deeply internal feelings. She speaks to the importance of attempting to speak these feelings aloud, despite that, so as to connect to and support others who may be experiencing similar griefs. Rachel Greenley (she/her) grew up in Alberta, where she worked as a nurse. COVID turned everything on its head for Rachel, when she took her Masters and subsequently moved to the UK on a sort of whim. She hasn’t looked back since. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
10 Sept 2026
Honouring Connections While Supporting Others
Brian shares the story of losing Alex MacKenzie, his partner’s father. Brian speaks to what it means to hold space for one’s own feelings of grief while supporting others who are impacted by the very same grief. He speaks to the importance of allowing oneself to sit with the difficult feelings of grief, rather than seeking to fix or understand them, and the unlikely artifact that allows him to do just that. Brian Stever (he/him) is the host of Sickboy and founder of Snack Labs, a podcast network and production company. His work spans creative development, production, and the systems that bring ambitious ideas to life. He is especially drawn to honest, human storytelling, and to the unexpected moments that help people feel understood and less alone. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
3 Sept 2026
Losing The Rhythm of Cultural Spaces
Rose-Eva shares the story of grieving the loss of Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue music scene. She misses a time when biking home from her role as a host of CJSR’s radio show Adamant Eve offered the possibility of popping into any number of live music shows. She offers space to consider what cultural and artistic spaces do to build community and what it means to give space to the longing for what we no longer have. Rose-Eva (she/her) grew up in Edmonton, and graduated with a degree in film studies and psychology from the University of Alberta in 2014. She contributed to feminist radio show Adamant Eve on local community radio station CJSR 88.5FM from 2013 to 2020. She works in the queer nonprofit space, and enjoys going for neighbourhood bike rides. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
27 Aug 2026
Sorrow When Life Turns Out Other Than Expected
Carly shares the story of grieving that life has turned out differently than expected. Carly longs for a life she has envisioned since she was young. She speaks to the work of making space for grief while engaging in intentional healing. She offers space to hold difficult truths in tensions, grieving for what she longs for and making a future that leaves room for both what she is and is not in control of. Carly Reirson (she/her) is an Alberta-born, Vancouver based singer-songwriter, performing artist, videographer, and all around creative. With two albums and multiple awards to her name, Carly continues to immerse herself in the worlds of the creative, both as a professional and as a steward of the arts. Rooted in her relationships with herself, her spirituality, her friendships and the world around her, Carly’s work transforms lived experience into art that connects deeply to the human heart. Profoundly shaped by grief, Carly's music explores themes of loss, love and longing, with the hope that her story can serve as a voice for those navigating their own grief and sorrow. When she’s not performing, filming or chasing her next creative opportunity, Carly can be found watching her favourite movies, baking beautiful cakes and cookies, thrifting for hidden gems, drinking good coffee, and spending time with the people she loves. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
20 Aug 2026
Reclaiming A Name In Diaspora
Yeon Soo shares the story of choosing to reclaim her birth name, after years of going by a name chosen for convenience. She speaks to the intentionality in choosing to go by Yeon Soo again and, in this choice, the two different sets of reality that her different names have represented. Yeon Soo asks: who else could I have been? She offers space to consider what it means to think through the possible paths that life could have taken us down and how to move forward on the ones we are currently on with intentionality. Yeon Soo Ha (she/her) was born in Seoul and now lives in amiskwacîwâskahikan/Edmonton. She enjoys hosting friends for dinner, reading books from the public library, and growing flowers in her garden. You can read more about Yeon Soo’s story in her CBC article (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/first-person-embracing-my-korean-name-1.6505385). Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
13 Aug 2026
Intentional Portals of Grief
Greg deJong shares the story of the unexpected loss of his close friend and business partner, Brett. In the throes of mourning, Greg found an unusual doorway to grief. In welcoming this doorway as an intentional portal to working through grief, Greg offers space to consider the creation of ritual around grief processing. Greg deJong (he/him) is good at problem-solving but is at a point in his life where he wants to spend less time solving other peoples' problems; he has been paying closer attention to how he can integrate more physical creativity into his life. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
6 Aug 2026
Uprooting From Home
Kenyon shares the story of their loss of a home recently found: New Orleans. They bring with them an object of creation that honours the pain of losing home and the feeling of deeply missing a place. Through their grief story, Kenyon offers space to consider the ways in which creation can be a grief process, as we consider what it means to make and remake home. Kenyon (KD) Burton (she/they) A wayward American who bounced from Oklahoma into Texas, then on to Louisiana, before making the big move to Edmonton, Alberta in 2021. A full-time history lecturer at the University of Alberta, Kenyon loves having the opportunity to work with students, helping them to find and pursue their own curiosities about the past. Outside of teaching, Kenyon is the host of the podcast Outcasts of the Earth, a fan of the New Orleans Saints (who dat!), a new-to-hockey fan of the local Oilers, as well as a full-time pet parent to two tuxedo cats (Salvador and Oscar), plus her ride or die, a fourteen-year-old beagle named Rigby. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
30 Jul 2026
The Peace Journey of Reconciling Painful Truths
Tor shares the story of their journey towards peace, as they continue to work at reconciling the memories of a happy childhood with the reality of hardship and harm. Tor brings an object at once tangibly potent and symbolic of the ways in which what happens in childhood leaves wounds that risk reopening as we age and understand more about our pasts. Through their grief story, Tor offers a space to consider what healing and peace look like in the journey of grief. Tor (they/she/he) is a 34 year old mixed race queer kid, living on Treaty 6 territory. Born into a large family of multidisciplinary artists, Vic spends a lot of time pondering the potential of random objects and trying to control the urge to start projects that they definitely won’t finish. They enjoy long walks in the river valley, snuggling with their dog, and excessive snacking. This episode contains brief mention of domestic violence and suicidal ideation. Take care while listening. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
23 Jul 2026
Losing and Refinding Space
Kylie Burton—English teacher and writer—shares the story of the loss of her grandparents’ and father’s businesses. Through her grief story, Kylie offers space to consider how the loss of physical places—and the sense memories they hold—can complicate the loss of the people they represent. A surprising discovery helps Kylie to honour these places and to create emotional space to consider how the loss of physical space can be navigated through memory, conversation, and practices of remembrance. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
16 Jul 2026
Lost and Lingering Senses That Crack Us Open
Sylvia—filmmaker and community activist—shares the story of Marigold: their beloved rescue dog. Sylvia brings an object that Marigold wore that now brings her into a space through sound and feel. Through their grief story, Sylvia offers space to think about the ways that loss can break us open and how we can acknowledge this breaking, as we work to reform who we become in the wake of loss. Sylvia Douglas (she/her/they/them) is a filmmaker from the Canadian Prairies and is of settler descent. Their films are about grief, liminality, and queerness. Sylvia's formal education was in Literature and Nonprofit Management, then later, they came to filmmaking through community learning. They have written, directed, and produced seven short films and a documentary series. Sylvia is currently writing a feature length screenplay between working in the queer community, volunteering at their independent cinema, and running TTRPGs for their friends. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
9 Jul 2026
The Nostalgic Routine of the Video Store
Elliott Kuss (he/him)—art director and creative—shares the story of his love of video stores and his deep sadness over the death of them. Through his grief story, Elliott offers space to consider the ways nostalgia, understood as grief, creates space to bring the present and past into conversation, in order to provide the opportunity to intentionally consider how to not just mourn the past, but honour it. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
9 Jul 2026
Travelling Through Grief’s Contradictions
Carolyn Reny (she/her)—a curious person, by nature—shares her experiences with travel. She brings an object that represents the movement through space that has resulted in both loss and change in her life, many times over. Through her grief story, Carolyn offers a space to think about holding contradictory emotions together so that we might welcome the way our experiences unmake and remake us. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
9 Jul 2026
Every Day Sites of Mourning
Ashley Meyer—artist and art educator—shares the story of her grandfather: Herman Kinzner (1931-2014). She brings an object that once belonged to him and now is part of her home. Through her grief story, Ashley offers a space to think about the way objects can provide an ongoing relationship with our lost loved ones, as well as an opportunity to think about differing rituals of remembrance that exist outside of the cemetery. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
27 Jun 2026
Artifacts of Grief Trailer
Every Thursday, an artifact serves as a conduit for a grief story. Kylie Burton and Elliott Kuss host Artifacts of Grief, an intentional space of grief sharing that welcomes the messy, complex, ongoing process of grief. In sharing stories of the griefs we all live with, Artifacts of Grief challenges the individualization of grief; instead, the show seeks to understand grief as an experience that reveals the beauty and necessity of our connections to people, places, and identities. Artifacts of Grief is made by humans for humans, without the use of AI. Photography, artwork, editing, and original music by Elliott Kuss Writing by Kylie Burton Bio provided by guest Follow us on Instagram @artifactsofgrief (https://www.instagram.com/artifactsofgrief/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
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