Artist-in-Residence
Quilt Project
I am excited to announce my residency with the Arts Council of Princeton as the Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence. During this time, I will be creating a community quilt dedicated to the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood and made in partnership with the Princeton community.
In 2005, the Arts Council of Princeton featured a quilt by educator and quilter Gail Mitchell, which became the centerpiece of their Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood exhibition. This quilt, displaying over 90 photographs and the signatures of many residents, was exhibited until 2022. Now, it is archived to preserve its condition, with photo documentation available at the ACP’s Paul Robeson for the Arts.
My project will focus on creating a new quilt that highlights the neighborhood’s geographical map, complementing the original quilt's portraits. I invited Witherspoon-Jackson residents to participate by telling stories of home and space. Numerous opportunities to consider the impact of Gentrification and the Segregation on the generations of residence in the past, present and future.
Community workshops took place in June and July, where participants gathered as local community spaces to hand-sew the top layer of the quilt. The quilt will be dedicated on August 6 and 7th during the annual Joint Effort Safe Streets event. Afterward, the quilt will be displayed as part of the ACP’s Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood history exhibition.
This project is made possible with the generous support of Timothy M. Andrews, a longtime supporter of the Arts Council of Princeton. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.