In our December newsletter, we briefly introduced you to the Welcome Quilts: Migration, Art, and Hope exhibit currently at Tucson's Arizona History Museum (through April 27th). Little did we know at the time the momentum it was gaining and the exciting directions it would take. Please read on to learn how this project, a partnership with Voices from the Border and our dear friend, Gale Hall, has taken flight since our last dispatch. While the exhibit is a tremendous opportunity, we are seeing the potential for a much broader and interactive movement.
At times I was so moved by the story of the quilts that I wanted to cry."
– A participant in the Embracing Counternarratives Conference
Some of you may be familiar with the National Aids Memorial Quilt, described on their website as "the largest community arts project in history" and conceived to help remember the unique lives and stories of people lost to HIV/AIDS. That project helped in turning around public opinion about the AIDS crisis at a crucial moment in time. The Welcome Quilt project has a similar potential to help change public opinion by presenting a perspective and experience that will counter the currently very damaging rhetoric about migration generally and, more specifically, about those who migrate.
What we are learning is that the Welcome Quilt project is something people in any part of the country can participate in and, just as importantly, that they are very enthusiastic about it. The makings of a movement are underway, and folks are feeling the drumbeat. Would you or your organization like to help us reframe how people see migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in this country? Please read on to learn about the various ways to be part of this exciting project.
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