"Make peace with the past.

Dismantle oppression in the present.

Change the future."

- Layla Saad, Become a Good Ancestor

THE PROJECT:

This quilt will represent the role white women play in dismantling white supremacy and building a culture of equity. The "back" of the quilt will be an homage to ancestors like Jessie Daniel Ames who have gone before us, courageously laying the foundation for our bold actions today. Aaron will complete this. The front of the quilt will be a collection of contributions from collaborators - each piece their response to the question, "What do you want your legacy of white womanhood to be?" And the quilt itself is an object that will live into the future, documenting the lineage of white women standing up for racial justice.

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Collaborator Role:

• create a 9 x 9 inch quilt section encapsulating what you want your legacy of white womanhood to be. This could be a letter to your child, something representing your commitment to practicing antiracism, how you want white culture to transform, what you want whiteness to mean for future generations, etc.

• become part of a community of white women using art to talk about social change we are passionate about

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Submissions:

• each piece submitted should measure approximately 9 x 9 inches. Please leave a one-inch border so that there is room to sew it to another piece without obscuring any of the content of your piece. If your idea or design feels too big for an 8 x 8 inch canvas, you can either create one piece that is up to 12 x 12 inches (with a one-inch border, leaving you a canvas of 11 x 11 inches) or you can break up your content and submit more than one 9 x 9 inch piece.​​

• you can use any fabric you would like for your piece. You may find more significance or meaning if you use a textile that has some connection to you, your family, your history, or your imagination of the future.

  • I have been collecting white vintage handkerchiefs and can mail you a hanky if you like the idea of using something from the past to tell a story of your present and leave a legacy for future generations. Just reach out to me! Or, check out a local antique shop. Many of them sell vintage white handkerchiefs for $1-5.​

• you can use text or images. It can be a very clear message or an abstract representation. You may find the AIDS memorial quilt and their "How to make a panel" page helpful or inspiring when considering how to design and create your textile piece for this project. You can visit their website here.

• don't be deterred if textiles or quilting aren't really your thing! You can create something digitally or on paper and I can work with you to transfer either a copy or the original onto fabric for the quilt. *Note that submissions that are not on fabric will need to be turned in by December 30, 2022.

Project Timeline:

• create your quilt "square(s)" anytime between now and January 31, 2023

• If you want me to transfer your design onto fabric, you must submit it to me by December 30, 2022

• I will be piecing the quilt together in the spring for my MFA thesis exhibition which will be in early May

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Quilting groups:

• I will host monthly gatherings where we can get together and work on our quilt pieces. Location and dates TBD.

• I will host two virtual "quilt and shares" over Zoom in the fall. Dates TBD.

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Want to get involved? Email Aaron to plug in! 

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