A Light to Remember Event to Honor Those Lost to Overdose
Portrait: Devin Bearden, her son who inspired the project
In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art and Utah State University Extension host A Light to Remember. The event features the opening reception of Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories, a new art exhibition created by the Into Light Project featuring original portraits and stories of people in Utah who have died from overdose or related causes. The event is held Saturday, Aug. 23, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art on the USU campus.
“This event will bring people together from all walks of life to honor individuals lost to substance use disorder,” said Aaron Hunt, USU health Extension assistant professor and event co-organizer. “Our goal is to raise awareness about overdose prevention and recovery, reduce stigma, nurture compassion through art and personal stories, and bring hope.”
Hunt said in Cache County, an estimated 17 residentsdied from overdoses in 2024, and across Utah, an average of 10 people die each week from overdoses, with one-third caused by fentanyl, according to Utah’s Public Health Data Resource.
“Many of these deaths are preventable with timely access to naloxone, a life-saving medication used to reverse opioid overdose,” Hunt said. “As part of our event, we will have resource booths and naloxone training so people can learn how to administer it.”
USU Interim President Al Smith will give welcome remarks at 6 p.m., followed by keynote speaker Theresa Clower, Into Light project founder. Because of the death of her son to a fentanyl overdose, Clower took up portrait work as a way to work through her grief. After completing her son’s portrait, she was inspired to find others who lived and died like her son to show the extent of the drug epidemic. She hopes her work will tell their stories and spark dialogue about the disease.
Hunt said attendees will be able to spend time with a like-minded community through sharing recovery stories, food, and connection. The evening will close with luminary creating and lighting and a moment of silence to honor those lost to overdose.
The A Light to Remember observance kicks off activities leading up to International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, when communities worldwide unite to remember lives lost and promote prevention and recovery efforts.
For further information about the event, contact Hunt at Aaron.Hunt@usu.edu.