Patchwork quilts date back many centuries and have been found in all cultures across the world. Generations of people recycled discarded fabric remnants into quilts, reinvigorating them with new life in geometric patterns. The fabric fragments each held a story of the family history. In antebellum America, sewing circles, comprised mostly of women, gathered to pass knowledge to younger generations, talk, gossip, and strategize.
The Communal Quilt Project is an arts experiential initiative designed to work with all genders, ages, and ethnicities to create a giant quilt. The project is designed to replicate aspects of the sewing circle in a series of hands-on workshops. Participants will be guided through the process of creating faux patchwork narrative quilt sections. Each workshop will take place in various spaces around the world effectively meeting people “where they are at.”
With simple elements such as fabric, glue, and scissors, participants will be able to shape and craft images while sharing aspects of their story in the context of community. We will operatively create a safe space where we can demystify the superficial barriers that cause division in our community and reveal how close we really are. Every year we will harvest the story-quilts and place them on Duke of Gloucester (DOG) Street as a symbol of the community functioning as one body. Over time we will create a communal quilt called the “DOG Street Mile Communal Quilt.”
Open to the Public.
Other Experiences
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Special Event: Noon Reading of the Declaration
Residents of the 18th-century Williamsburg community read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Courthouse and surrounding area.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Darryl Reeves Master Blacksmith
Stop by the Public Armoury for demonstrations by Master Blacksmith Darryl Reeves, a third-generation metal worker from New Orleans' Seventh Ward and apprentice Karina Roca.
Open to the Public
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Special Event: Lafayette's "Homecoming"
Commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Honorary Degree of Laws from William & Mary.
Open to the Public